Hope Springs Eternal: A Subterranean Romance
by Quantum Witch
Summary: 1998 \\ Disney's "Hercules" sequel \\ In which Hades' kingdom is in danger, an immortal witch wants control, the Fates predict a miracle, and Hades falls flaming-head-over-smoking-heels in love. The usual stuff of myth. \\ SEE PROFILE PAGE FOR LINK TO ILLUSTRATED VERSION
1. Diabolic Simpatico

**HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: A SUBTERRANEAN ROMANCE **(_Καταχθονιο Επος Ερος __: _Αθανατη Ελπις Ξαναγεννιεται)  
a Disney's Hades fanfic by quantum witch © 1998

**Rating**: M - language, violence, sexual situations  
**Summary**: A "Disney's Hercules" sequel - In which Hades' kingdom is in danger, an immortal witch wants control, the Fates predict a miracle & Hades falls flaming-head-over-smoking-heels in love. The usual stuff of myth.  
**Disclaimer**: This particular version of Hades and characters from the Disney movie and TV show. This story, this version of Persephone and other original characters are owned by me. The general mythology is public domain for which no one owns the copyright.  
**Notes**: The two years of research that went into this story has been included as **author's notes** at the end of the story. There is also a "responses" page, where I answer various questions posed by reviewers and so on.  
**FURTHER NOTE:** Any Greek language usage is grammatically incorrect in every possible way, but I do at least know how to find the words in my lexicon and the definitions are reasonably accurate.  
**Artist Note:** Cover illustration is my own work, titled "Wedding Dance", and is a scene from the story.

**ILLUSTRATED STORY: disney-hades. dreamwidth. org**  
_(note: you must delete the spaces in the address before you copy/paste link)_

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_(In which Cupid plays with his dangerous chemistry set, Persephone is thrust into the limelight of Olympus, and Apollo gears up his hormones.)_

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**1 : DIABOLIC SIMPATICO  
**Συμπονηρευομαι

It was just another perfect day on Olympus. Same as the days, weeks, years, in fact the millennia before. Except for a minor disturbance about five weeks ago, things almost never changed.

The minor disturbance in question -an unsuccessful coup attempted by Hades to overthrow Olympus and usurp Zeus' throne - had been quite a topic of conversation for days afterward. The damage caused by the rampaging Titans had healed completely, but of course clouds tend to bounce back into shape without any special help.

At first there were heated suggestions to hunt down Hades and bring him to justice, but Zeus had vetoed this. Though he too had been surprised and angered at the assault, he believed it to be just one more in a long line of things his brother had done to get attention. True, it was by far the most drastic thing he'd ever done, but it was obviously the biggest plan Hades could have made. And since it had failed utterly, the big baby had run home to sulk.

Hercules had brought news of Hades' complete defeat, how he'd knocked him into a pit of fire. Zeus was sure they wouldn't see the Lord of the Dead around for quite some time, and even if they did the dark god had no more aces up his sleeve. There was nothing more he could do to threaten them all, ever again. However, to allay any fears, Zeus made a formal decree: Hades was prohibited from entering Olympus proper, and officially bumped off the Great Council.

The other gods agreed with this wisdom. And now things had resettled into the usual routine of lazy recreation and blissful indulgence, just the way everyone liked it.

However, the whole incident had caused one deity to really think about Hades' motives, to start contemplating what his personal feelings might have been, to recall his long sad history of isolation. The one deity had even begun to sympathise with the dark god of the Underworld, something no one else had done.

That one deity was Cupid.

Though he never pretended to understand what went on inside Hades' mind, nevertheless he, of all people, could spot the lonely soul with ease. So he began to formulate a theory, which led to a plan of action. Something that might change Hades once and for all, and bring Olympus permanent peace and quiet...

Shoot Hades with a love arrow, and let the chips fall where they may.

Okay, he wasn't quite so cavalier about his job as that. People may have thought he was, but he truly cared about the finer points. He was often the scapegoat for a disastrous relationship, but it was always one that he either had no involvement with in the first place, or one that went on much longer than intended. Humans, though, often blamed the gods for every tiny little thing that went wrong. He was used to it.

His powers were also quite capable of affecting gods as well, and that usually meant he was catered to outrageously. Gods preferred to make their own decisions, and he was one god who could make a decision for them, whether they liked it or not. He found this amusing, since he had never intended to use his powers on another god in the first place (though occasionally Zeus still tried to blame an errant arrow for his own stupid actions). But now there was justified reason to do so.

And so, the young winged god worked all night to prepare for the attack. He dragged out his entire arsenal, deliberating over the caliber of arrow to use. He carefully mixed the love potion to be inserted in the arrow's tip, since the chemistry between people was the most important factor. The formula had to be just right. He had many, many types of potions, and some were standard fare he could use for most humans: _Infatuation, Devotion, Crush_ (used mostly on high-schoolers), _Unrequited, One-Night Stand_, etc. Sometimes he felt like his own mother, with her line of commercial cosmetics and perfumes. He couldn't afford to have it wear off too fast, since Hades was a tough case to crack. So he chose the most powerful and enduring potion of all.

When all was ready, he sat cross-legged on a cloud chair in his mother's sumptuous home (Cloud Nine) polishing up the **_ErosArrow™_** that he'd filled with the potion and chuckling to himself mischievously. When it was buffed to a suitably high gleam, he held it aloft, declaring, "Aha! It's done!"

His mother Aphrodite was lounging redolently on her cloud sofa, while waiting for her workaholic husband Hephaestus to finally leave the forge and come home for dinner. In the meantime, she was reading the latest comedic scroll by Aristophanes, and had been chuckling occasionally herself. Mostly, though, she loved seeing her own name in print. When her son spoke aloud, she raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow at him. "Why so excited? It's just an arrow."

"Looks can be deceiving," Cupid said, waving the purplish-red arrow at her. Then he began to pitch his product effusively. "This one is very special. The tip is filled with a time-release capsule of undiluted True Love serum! Guaranteed to melt even the coldest, hardest heart, in time. This, Mom, is a real _super-arrow!_"

He struck a proud heroic pose, wings extended, arrow held to the sky, as if awaiting the requisite heavenly choir to strike up and spotlight to shine down on his grand achievement. Unfortunately his cherubs, the Muses, and Apollo were all busy elsewhere.

Aphrodite stifled a laugh. Then she stretched her tall rosy form, fluffed her long gold hair and arose from her couch, though it still mistily clung to her generous curves, of which there were plenty and then some. "Interesting idea," she said sincerely, coming for a closer look and smiling indulgently at her son. "Should be good for those really hard-headed cases. Like I always say, everyone deserves to experience True Love."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Cupid grinned slyly. His infamous dimples deepened and his eyes twinkled from beneath maroon bangs. Which should have been ample warning of the mischief he planned.

"So, who's the guinea pig?" Aphrodite queried, not noticing the gleam. "Some grouchy old king who's never been in love with anything but his own power?"

"You could say that...," Cupid drawled innocently, adding almost as an afterthought, "my target is Hades."

It took a full three seconds for that to register properly in Aphrodite's mind. The first second, she merely nodded, not truly aware of what she'd actually heard. The next second, she turned to stare in disbelief at Cupid. The third second reduced her to hysterics, leaning against a pillar and laughing herself nearly sick.

His pink skin flushed red, he said in a tight voice, "It's not funny."

She righted herself, wiped away mirthful tears, and looked more closely at her son's face. "Oh, my gods... _You're serious?_" she nearly choked on the question.

"Yes, I am!" he declared heatedly. "It's my theory that if he had known True Love, he never would have become so evil."

"Your _'theory'?_ Oh, please!" Aphrodite rolled huge lavender-blue eyes framed with long curling lashes. "This is Hades you're talking about. I don't know if he's even capable of love, 'super-arrow' or not."

Cupid narrowed his own violet eyes at her. "So... you think I can't do it, is that it?" The challenged tone should have been a second warning.

And she missed it as well. "I did not say that!" she protested.

"You _do_ doubt me, _don't you?_" he demanded, pointing a finger at his mother accusingly. His feathers ruffled angrily.

"Oh, stop it," she frowned, putting a tiny crease beside her perfect lips. "I just can't imagine any girl who'd _want_ Hades to be in love with her... Can you?"

For a half-second, Cupid opened and shut his mouth, trying to find a suitable response. How could he have skipped the most important detail? In his pursuit of the perfect formula, he'd neglected to find the perfect girl. _Well, this just sucked._ He slumped, sighed and admitted the truth. "Good point."

Aphrodite was glad he saw the wisdom of her words and the error of his ways. Sometimes his enthusiasm carried him away, and she felt he needed reminding of the fact that his powers, though massive, were still developing as he aged. However, she unwisely decided further persuasion was needed, and said, "That's right. Every goddess knows Hades' reputation all too well. We'd all rather stay single for eternity than have to be stuck with him..."

Cupid flinched as the salt poured over his wound. "All right, you've made it clear," he grumbled.

"I mean, frankly it would take a goddess who's never met him," she continued, oblivious to her son's pointed stares, "who's been locked away on an island or something her whole life, to even start thinking about-"

"_I get the picture_!" he finally shouted, which stopped her in her tracks.

"No need to yell." Aphrodite looked at him in surprise.

Further discussion was interrupted by a cacophony of voices outside their door, in the courtyard of Olympus. The voices were mostly curious and friendly, but it was still unusual. Almost nothing new ever happened on Olympus (if you didn't count recent months) so this was something to grab their interest. The two love deities shelved their differences for the moment and stepped toward the door.

Outside, a fairly large crowd had gathered around Demeter, who was waving them all forward. She was delighted by everything that had transpired of late. Not only had she made a momentous decision in her own life, but she had also become a full Council member instead of merely an alternate, taking over the seat once held (unjustly, she felt) by Hades. And now she had news that would shake the gods, but in a good way.

"Attention, gods and goddesses! I have an important announcement, one that's long overdue." The green-skinned full-bodied earth mother, lush as the very fields she presided over, dressed in a forest of green, a corn-leaf headdress atop her autumn-orange hair, smiled as everyone grew quieter. "Two days from now, as you know, is the celebration of First Harvest, that midway point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. And I'd like to inform you all... that this past Springtime was my _last one_."

This led to gasps of surprise and worry, whispers of confusion. But Demeter just held up her hands and silenced them again.

"...Because," she continued, "as of next year, _my daughter Persephone _will take over as Goddess of Spring!" With a gentle push she produced said daughter, who had been semi-hiding behind her mother's ample frame.

Persephone grinned nervously, waving generally to the crowd. She really, _really_ didn't want to be there and wished she could melt through the cloud floor, then realised she probably could, but would never hear the end of it from her mother afterward.

Demeter went on, smiling at her child. "Most of you have not gotten to know Persephone, and I do apologise for keeping her to myself for so long. I've been a bit over-protective, I suppose."

Persephone, turning her head slightly away, rolled her large eyes ironically. _Oh, boy, if they only knew the half of it...  
_

Demeter resumed, unaware. "But until she returns to our secluded island home of Nysa, let's please make her feel welcome on Olympus!" She opened her arms wide, encouraging everyone to welcome her daughter into the bosom of their society.

The gathered gods applauded and milled about, greeting and congratulating the young goddess on her appointment. Persephone wished fervently for another Titan to wander by and start a ruckus, anything to distract the crowd so she could run for the hills.

Cupid watched Persephone closely. He'd met her a few times, but the last time he'd actually paid attention had been several years ago, and she'd really grown up since then. She'd always been lovely, but now she was easily as beautiful as his own love goddess mother. With bright golden skin like sunlight, wide eyes blue as a cloudless morning sky, knee-length blazing-scarlet hair capped by a pink flower-shaped headdress, and a lissome figure in flowing white chitonion, nearly covered by a modest rose-coloured peplos pinned at the shoulder... she was a total babe. But he knew, better than most, beauty wasn't everything.

He'd been looking more at her reactions to the situation, and he seemed to be the only person aware of how uncomfortable she was. The looks she angled at Demeter said she hadn't chosen anything for herself, and Cupid knew how stubborn the elder goddess could be. He was willing to bet Demeter still treated her like a little child, which she clearly was not. He was also willing to bet the younger goddess would do nearly anything to get out from under her mother's green thumb.

He pondered over the two or three times he'd seen her at various get-togethers with the gods, and recalled Demeter's habit of leaving quite early. The most recent time had been thirteen or fourteen years ago, at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (gods, what a disaster that was). If he remembered correctly, Hades had shown up for a short while, arriving just about the same time Persephone was being dragged home. Cupid had a sudden sharp memory of how the dark god's eyes had widened when he'd seen her... how he'd stared almost unblinking, silent and breathless, a look of sweet pain on his face, until she was out of sight... how he'd hinted casually for information about her afterward...

_Hey, wait a minute..._ Hades had never looked at anyone that way before. Now, what was it Aphrodite had been saying...? And what had Demeter said just moments ago...?

_No way was this a coincidence!  
_

Cupid was one of the few gods on somewhat friendly terms with the Fates, and had occasionally done a bit of dirty work for them (though he didn't often discuss it with anyone else). Years ago they'd told him that, one day in the future, he would have to do something no one else would approve of. That he would _'strike the heart of death and bring it to life'._ He narrowed his eyes, thinking. The God of wintry Death... the Goddess of lively Springtime... And what a mixed-up name she had. _Persephone._ Life and light, combined with sacrifice and killing. What had Demeter been thinking when she'd named her daughter? Probably not this.

Yep, karmic needlepoint was stitched all over this one.

A huge grin spread across his face like a hungry wolf at an all-you-can-eat wild game buffet. "Talk about divine intervention," he chuckled half to himself.

Still standing beside him, Aphrodite had of course viewed the scene in the Olympian courtyard differently, and no such thoughts had entered her mind. In fact, her most prominent thought had been, _What a shame, she's so pretty and that outfit really doesn't flatter her at all. I should give her some fashion tips...  
_

But when her son spoke aloud, she spent another three seconds in contemplation. The first, nodding blankly; the next, her eyes grew wide in realization; the third, she nearly gave herself whiplash as her head snapped in his direction, an absolutely horrified gasp on her lips. "You... wouldn't... _dare_!" she hissed.

Cupid, already halfway to where he'd left the super-arrow lying, laughed. "She fits the profile like she was made for it. In fact, I'm sure she was."

Aphrodite frantically followed him, whispering harshly, afraid they'd be overheard. "No way! Demeter would _kill you!_"

Cupid merely grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. "Hey, I risk it all for love, don't you?"

She just groaned, holding her head. "Oh... oh, gods, nooo... this is not a good idea!"

He looked at her with a serious face then. "You said it yourself, Mom. Everyone deserves True Love." He dared her to contradict herself.

"But... yeah... well...," she faltered, searched for some way to take back her own deepest-held philosophy, and couldn't find one. Then she spoke more firmly. "This girl just _can't_ be the right one for him! She's obviously too young and _way_ too innocent, and she doesn't deserve a lovestruck Hades dragging her off to the Underworld! Hell, no one does." She dared him to prove her wrong.

But Cupid knew he was right, he sensed it with every beat of his interfering, match-making little heart. The Fates had put this in his path, and he agreed with their decision. His mother just wasn't giving things a fair chance. Shaking his head, he said, "Too young? Not. First of all, she's clearly old enough to be making her own life decisions. Have you forgotten how I lobbied six years ago to get the age of self-reliance changed? Twenty-one was just way too old. Even mortals are considered adult long before that age."

There had been a majority Council meeting before which Cupid and Hebe, the goddess of Youth (and Age), had presented a most convincing argument. To allow all gods of his generation an earlier release into adulthood. The age had been moved back to fourteen, which truly made sense because that was the time at which their full powers began to manifest. Cupid himself was now nineteen, and hadn't been willing to wait any longer for his own apartment and a little privacy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Aphrodite rolled her eyes at her son. "You go your own way, do your own thing, have your own space... So how come you spend half your time in my house, eating my ambrosia, using my laundry facilities?"

"Hey, the light is better over here for my work," he protested half-heartedly, "and besides, this isn't about me. It's about Persephone."

"Right. And the way you want to ruin her whole life." She crossed her arms, still unconvinced.

"Well, what would you know about her life?" he crossed his arms right back. "You've probably never even talked to her, have you?"

Aphrodite wavered again. "Well... no... but..."

"Once again, looks can be deceiving. So let me be the judge," he said gently. He knew his mother was still unsure. But then she couldn't always sense things like he could, the subtle ways people were right or wrong for each other. In fact, he had a few ideas about her own love life that he'd learned to keep to himself, since she never appreciated his comments. She might have been the Love and Beauty Goddess but she spent her time making the atmosphere of love better or worse, not finding the proper combinations. That was his area of expertise, and she knew it.

"But," she tried again, "it still should be fairly obvious, especially to us, that she's a virgin goddess. Maybe not official, but definitely innocent and untouched." Her eyes narrowed at her son, and at the thought of Hades. "And although many men, both gods and mortals, may fantasise about taking such a thing from a girl, that doesn't mean the girl wants to give it... Right?"

He sighed, knowing she was right. So he compromised in a way that he still could win. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. How about this... I talk to her awhile, get to know her better, figure out what sort of things she's wishing for her life. You know I can see right through people, if I want to. Part of my powers, seeing the true desires of others... Right? And then, if I still think she's the right choice - which I do - I go stealth-radar target Hades, and no one will ever know I'm involved."

She looked at her confident, smiling, sincere son and felt her heart sink. She realised too late, he was absolutely determined to shoot Hades, had been all along. And now that he'd chosen the intended object of affection as well, there was no stopping him. She also knew what he said was only fair. Hades probably did need a little love in his life, in fact it might be the very thing to improve the dark god's overall mood. She couldn't personally recall Hades ever having been in real love before. Although he'd certainly had a case of the hots for her a few times (hadn't everyone?), and while he'd been pathetically unsure of himself at first, eventually he had become more obnoxious, though never pushing beyond what she could tolerate. Strange, she thought, perhaps he wasn't a total brute in every respect. But still, this instant case of Spring Fever (pun intended) might be dangerously unpredictable. And she too was a mother, and could sympathise with Demeter on that front. She seriously doubted the earth goddess would thank them for matching up her sweet young daughter with such a dark and bitter old coot. And though no one had really seen Demeter lose her temper, such a thing would probably push even the mildest goddess over the edge.

Her face registering her concerns, she sighed, "I dunno..."

Cupid, misreading her hesitance, thought she was still challenging his efficiency. So he said, "And... I'll bet you a century's worth of Hebe's finest nectar I can pull this off." He grinned widely, challenging her right back.

Aphrodite shook her head. Let him find out for himself, the hard way. But he'd better not come crying to her when all hell broke loose, literally. "I can tell I'm gonna regret this," she said softly, "but... okay."

"Yes!" Cupid hooted, shook hands with his mother over the deal then did a little victory dance.

Aphrodite sighed and moved to the doorway. "Well, you better get going," she said lightly with a grin. "Looks like Apollo is already putting the smooth moves on your little target."

"_What?_" Cupid squawked. He dashed to the door, in time to see the brawny purple-skinned part-time sun god suavely smiling at the young goddess, the scent of intended conquest practically oozing from his pores as usual. Persephone's expression of infinitely-polite barely-concealed revulsion was clear to Cupid but completely overlooked by Apollo. And by Demeter, who stood by chattering happily at them. When Apollo took Persephone's delicate hand in his own beefy meathook, bending to kiss it lightly, Cupid actually fumed.

"Hey, ya big over-sexed jerk! I saw her first!" he scowled. Half-running, half-flying, the love god scampered out to join and interrupt.

Aphrodite, still standing in the doorway, watched the tableau with a sense of doomed amusement. She sighed, her bosom heaving expressively. "This is turning into a _loooong_ Summer."

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**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	2. Demons & Witches & Fates, Oh My!

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

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_In which Hades is approached by a vile seductress (who he'd totally do, if she didn't annoy him), and the Fates give him a little TMI with a chaser of WTF in the form of The Big Prophecy. (contains singing)_

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**CHAPTER 2 : DEMONS & WITCHES & FATES, OH MY!  
**Ασυνηθη Υποπτης

**- o - ONE- o -**

It was just another shitty day in the Underworld. Same as the days, weeks, in fact the millennia... well, you know the drill. It was the very same day, if you want to get absolutely technical about it, that Cupid was hatching his plot on Olympus.

In the dismal throne room of the gloomy Underworld palace, the imps Pain and Panic (who considered themselves both right- and left-hand to their master, though they could never decide which of them was which) were very busy cleaning up. They were cleaning to try and cheer up the Boss, who was in the weirdest mood either of them had ever witnessed.

It kind of disturbed them, the way he'd been so quiet and withdrawn in recent weeks. He hadn't screamed insanely even once, nor had he threatened to have them chopped up and fed bit by bit to some slavering creature conjured from the darkest depths of hell. They were so accustomed to such ranting, it was a little unnerving not to hear it. In a way, they missed it. So they'd done a lot of trifling busy work to fill the long empty hours, and their nearly empty minds, and to calm their nerves.

They swept and dusted away cobwebs and litter, moved furnishings into place, polished the giant map table in the center of the room, and shoved what they couldn't find any other place for very quickly into a closet that no one had ventured to look deeply into for centuries. Once they had accomplished the task to their satisfaction, they scurried to stand alert before Hades' throne, saluting smartly.

"There ya go, Boss!" Panic, the wiry blue-green imp chirped. "All tided up!"

"As tidy as it'll ever get anyway," Pain, the rotund magenta-colored imp chimed in, as he could always be counted upon to do. "We even picked up all those little pawns from your _'Conquer the Cosmos' _board game." He held aloft a couple of badly charred figures that still vaguely resembled the various monsters Hades had called forth to attack Hercules several months ago.

"Everything is in readiness for you to start ruling again!" Panic declared enthusiastically, standing back in a _'ta-da!'_ pose.

In response, Hades merely continued to sit, silent and immobile, in the eternal gloom surrounding his throne. He did, however, sigh... deeply as a wind from a grave.

Pain and Panic looked at each other worriedly. Pain asked in his hesitant, always-cracking voice, "Uh, something wrong, your Atrabiliousness?"

Panic spoke up as well, finally voicing what they both felt. "You know, you seem different since..." He bit his lip, not sure he should say too much. "Well, you know what happened."

Hades' voice drifted forth, slowly like a trailing ghost. "Everything's different, boys... I've... lost it. It's all gone now... My bloodlust, my craving for omnipotence... Death, doom and destruction just don't have that old siren's call appeal for me anymore..."

Pain and Panic yelped and grabbed onto each other, leathery wings fluttering and long pointed tails twitching in nameless fear.

"Don't talk like that!" Panic quivered.

"You're scaring us!" Pain quaked.

But it was true, and they all knew it. Hades had changed. And it was somehow terrifying to the imps to imagine him any differently than they'd always known him.

"Oh, cheer up, Boss!" Panic said in a soothing tone. He stepped forward again, trying to cajole some normality back into the situation. "You can always start working on a fresh plan of attack!"

"No, no..." Hades rumbled in a near monotone, "my last, best chance is gone with the Titans... Might as well just pack it in..." Shifting slightly on his throne, his blue fire hair flickered briefly, though it barely cast a light into the gloom surrounding him. He seemed more a part of the darkness than ever, his grey skin blending into the blackness of his flowing himation in the dusk, his eyes barely open, a dim yellow. He felt, strangely, both more and less aware of things than he'd ever felt. It made no sense, but what did anymore? With a deep shuddering breath, he lifted one long-fingered hand to his aching head. "Life is a mess. Death is a bigger mess. My world is in chaos and for once I don't want it that way. I don't know what the hell to do..."

A stranger's voice, female, smooth as mink fur and brimming with not-so-subtle wickedness, wafted across the room to tickle their ears.

"Perhaps I can help you..."

Pain and Panic jumped half out of their scaly skins in terror. No one was supposed to enter the Underworld unless they had shuffled off their mortal coil or received a royal summons. Except if they were a god themselves. Or sometimes a foolhardy hero-type who didn't seem to understand the rules. This woman obviously didn't fit any of the above categories, and Cerberus the guard dog hadn't made a peep. They had absolutely no clue how she'd managed to get inside without any sort of alert, but they wanted Hades to know they were guiltless of this breech of security.

"_We didn't let her in, we swear_!" they both howled pitifully.

Hades frowned. "Just shut up, already," he snapped.

They skittered aside and hid under the map table in profound gratitude.

Looking back up at this uninvited guest, Hades sensed the otherworldly power she held, knowing this was what she'd used to gain access to his domain. He also noticed she was quite attractive. Tall she was, maybe six feet, thin yet shapely, the chitonion and chlanidion she wore all in shades of violet and grey. She wore a silver horned headdress, and held a staff-length torch of mystical fire. Long sleek black hair, with twin stripes of purple, seemed to flow and move on its own. Her skin was pale as winter and her eyes were moonlight themselves, silver and cold. Altogether a pretty appealing package, to someone of his dark tastes.

And he was never one to pass up a gaze at something lovely, after so many centuries in a land of ugliness. A tiny spark of life began to show in his eyes. He cleared his throat, smiling widely to bare all his fangs. "So... who is this beguiling mortal before me?"

The woman smiled in return. "_Immortal_, actually," she corrected gently.

"Oh, really?" Hades leaned forward with growing interest.

"Yes," she responded, gliding closer to his throne. "Countless centuries ago, Zeus granted my family eternal life, to repay a favor. I, too, have inherited that immortality. It's been very useful, these past nine decades..." She didn't look a day over thirty mortal years.

The very mention of the hated name, let alone the fact she was indebted to his enemy and grateful for it, turned Hades' interest to dust. His voice cold and dry as a mausoleum, he merely said, "Oh... Whoop-dee-freaking-doo for you."

She ignored the shift in attitude however, and continued. "Perhaps you know my name..." She curtsied with smooth grace. "_Hecate_, Queen of the Night."

Hades raised one eyebrow in recognition. The witch's name was well-known in the Underworld, since so many of her victims wound up there soon after encountering her. "Yeah, sounds familiar. So... how do you think you can possibly help me?"

"Oh, poor Hades," she sympathetized, _tsking_ her concern, "lost your bid for another kingdom, and now you're stuck with this one. Doesn't look like much, but we both know it's more than it seems. Why not forget the outside world, and concentrate on what you have here? True, it needs a little fixing up," she waved a hand to the room, which still showed indelible signs of the destruction he'd personally wreaked after his defeat, "but with a bit of effort, you can have perfection. A kingdom of darkness that will haunt the world for all eternity. And I'm just the witch to make your dreams come true..." There was a sparkle in her pale eyes that chilled even him.

"And what do you _think_ you know," he rumbled deeply, "about _my_ dreams?"

"Plenty," she purred. "You long for ultimate power, complete control... adoring adulation..."

The words struck a deep chord in him, but he refused to allow his face to show it. Yet she knew anyway. And continued. "Ah, but you merely sought the wrong venue. Stick with what you know best. With what I know best..." She smiled and held her torch higher. "But here, my résumé speaks for itself..."

The flames lifted free of the torch, dancing through the air and turning the colors of the rainbow, though darker and more baleful than any ever created by Iris. Then Hecate sang, and the flame became the animated images of her words.

_My experience is varied and vast__  
__I've built quite a bad reputation_  
_my talent for evil_  
_I truly believe will_  
_surpass even your expectation_  
_Ocean, wood and field I've haunted_  
_driven sailors overboard with madness_  
_hunters are my prey_  
_I've led shepherds astray_  
_I'm just bursting with netherworld badness_

She had been moving slowly, sinuously among the flames, but at this point she thrust out her arms, cape flickering like fire itself, drawing his attention directly.

_It's as clear as the moon__  
__I've got what it takes_  
_the evil you need_  
_to whip this place into shape_  
_I'm Queen of the Night_  
_the witch with a plan_  
_always more than willing_  
_to lend a hurting hand_

Grinning wickedly, saucily up his bland expression, she continued, dancing more insistently.

_Mortals fear me far and wide__  
__statues of me outside every door_  
_a sacrifice a day_  
_keeps Hecate away_  
_at least until night falls once more_  
_Each crossroad a place of cold dread_  
_not a human alive can escape me_  
_death and glory I crave_  
_send them all to their grave_  
_come on Hades, what more do you need?_

She approached more boldly now, her face harder and more calculating, but her voice still smooth as velvet.

_It's as true as the stars__  
__you need my aid_  
_to restore your world_  
_to the pinnacle of pain_  
_As Queen of the Night_  
_I know all the tricks_  
_I speak your language_  
_know what makes you tick_

By then she had reached the throne, and poised herself expectantly. She had very effectively evaded the actual point, but her gaze spoke volumes.

Hades, even if he'd been blind, could have read that look like it was written in Braille. He arched his brows at her, speaking as dryly as a dead leaf. "Uh-huh, wicked bad naughty evil Hecate, really need a good spanking, don't ya? Blah-blah-blah... Babe, I didn't get where I am without knowing when there's a catch. What is it you really want?"

Smiling very coyly, she leaned forward, her low neckline giving him a tantalising view of her charms. Placing a cold pale hand on his warm grey arm, she replied, "Well, since you asked so nicely..."

_I can't hold a torch to your power__  
__you're an awesome god of evil, it's true_  
_but you're so all alone_  
_on that big old throne_  
_you need a queen to rule beside you_

She paused and gave him her most sultry gaze. Her ways had never failed to ensnare any male, mortal or immortal, alive, dead, or somewhere in-between. She was in for a surprise this time.

Restraining himself from the urge to roll his eyes, he thought, _Saw that one coming a league away._ Then directly to her, smiling at first in an appropriately captivated way, he crooned, "Hey, dollface, what can I say, I'm flattered, really I am..." Whereupon he removed her hand from his arm and all but tossed it away, yellow eyes flashing yet somehow icy cold, as he grumbled, "...but not a snowball's frigging chance, toots. I'm not sharing my throne with anyone, now or ever."

There was once someone he'd have considered such a thing with... but she was gone forever. And he was now on his seventh century of grieving. Not quite as long a time of self-imposed celibacy, though he'd gone through exceedingly long dry spells during most of those years of loneliness. It was true, he was deeply lonely, and nothing ever seemed to slake that thirst in his soul, possibly never would... Perhaps on a normal day, in a more normal mood, he might have actually entertained a go at Hecate, this attractive madwoman who was practically screaming '_take me now, big boy!_' It certainly wasn't as though he usually had women falling at his feet... not unless they were already dead.

Yet he found himself frankly put-off, annoyed at her over-confident manner, thinking she could simply seduce him into giving her what she wanted. Though the idea of quick sex certainly had its appeal, he knew from experience it would only leave him more hollow and dead inside, and this was decidedly not the sort of feeling he craved right now. And even if simple lust had won out with this witch, the results would have remained one-sided: **His**. He was still the one who made the bargains for power, not the other way around. And it might not be a great job he had, but it was all his and he planned to keep it that way. No one dared play pretender to his throne, not so long as there was breath in his body... or whatever it was that kept him going.

And now, seeing her positively shocked expression, he felt strangely vindicated, as if he'd accomplished something no one had ever managed before. (In fact, it was quite true.) He mentally patted himself on the back at his restraint, casually waved her away from his presence, and glibly remarked, "Well... thanks for stopping by, your application's on file, we'll be in touch, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, _ta-ta_."

She was stunned that Hades had resisted her. That had never been done. Anger joined the surprise, as she realized she would have to resort to actually working out a battle plan to meet her ends. She recovered her composure at this utter rebuffing, and said, "Oh... well... let me know if you change your mind." She turned to leave, silently fuming as he continued quipping behind her back.

"I woooon't," he sing-songed after her, "Good-byyyye."

**- o - TWO - o -**

Hecate returned to her own lair, suspended in the Netherworld regions of the night. If it could be described in a physical manner, one would say it lay somewhere vaguely between the restless dreams of mortals and the haunted realm of monsters, with its darkest border brushing against the Underworld itself. It was a place no mortal could enter, and few immortals cared to. She had built the sub-dimensional area herself, using the blackest spells. The outside was virtually invisible, but the inside was fairly cozy and almost normal. She had her privacy, and no rent to worry about.

Entering her dark grotto, swearing to herself, she was greeted by her hellhound demon familiars. Havoc, the male, was albino-white with red glowing eyes, his fur shaggy and long. Mayhem, the female, was black-and-grey, also red-eyed, her fur short and sleek. Both had expansive wings. They flew down from their perches in the craggy trees to land near their mistress.

"So," said Havoc cheerfully, smiling broadly at the nasty look on the witch's face, "how'd it go?

Hecate snarled angrily at him. "It _didn't_, if you must know."

"Should have guessed," Havoc said lightly, ignoring her mood. "The Underworld is Hades' personal chew-toy. He's not bound to share it easily."

"Besides," said Mayhem, raising an eyebrow, "we thought you hated him."

Hecate screeched, "I DO!" Then she grumbled, "But it was worth a shot."

The two hellhounds rolled their eyes. They'd heard this before, and it never changed or got better.

Hecate tossed her torch aside, though it floated in the air instead of landing on the ground. She began to pace, trying to work off her anger. "After all this time, all this effort, the Underworld is the only place mortals can reach that I haven't been able to affect with my evil powers... and I think I deserve it! I've worked too hard to stop now!"

Magic ran in her family. All the way back to her great-great-great-something aunt, the powerful sorceress Heket, for whom she had been named. The elder had been given immortality, declared a goddess in her Egyptian homeland, and possessed powers beyond anything the rest of the family had yet shown capacity for. When the younger Hecate had been born, something stronger was seen in her, and everyone hoped she would carry on the name appropriately. So far she'd failed to live up to the reputation. And it stung.

For years, she'd tried everything. Others in her family had turned to dark magic, and while they contented themselves with shape-changing or poisons or mind-control, she began to feel the call to something darker still. The Underworld had become her dream, the ultimate fantasy.

And she had done her homework on this matter, having followed Hades' exploits on the sly for several years. She's seen his single-minded devotion for Olympus, the lengths to which he was willing to go to secure his mission and remain unnoticed. He'd been very clever, enough to impress her. She'd also seen the peculiarly almost-gentle demeanor he adopted with his minion Megara, at least up until the end when the mortal girl betrayed him. Beneath it all, he was immensely lonely and sad. And this was the angle she'd needed to pry her way into position, certain that she would eventually discover a way to take complete control.

She had truly come to feel she deserved control over such a powerful realm. She was, after all, descended from the same stock as the gods themselves. Her own parents were half-Titan. Being so closely related, the same opportunity and privilege ought to be accorded her. Of course the gods didn't see it in that manner, but there were ways around the rules. And she knew them intimately.

Besides, sleeping with the Lord of the Dead wouldn't have been the worst compromise for power that she'd made. She had blackened her soul with evil and death, more than enough to get through the Underworld's door... but then had it slammed in her face, quite unexpectedly. Damn Hades all the way to hell, he was actually smart enough to see right through her, and to prevent easy access. He was also a god, so much too strong for her to consider outright attack.

She stopped pacing and crossed her arms, pouting. The wheels in her mind cranked steadily, obsessing over her failure. "The only thing standing in my way is Hades... and my woman's intuition tells me something isn't quite right with him," she mused aloud. "Well, _something_ has to be wrong with the man, if he could so easily refuse me. And I'm gonna find out what that is..."

She approached the torch where it hovered, grabbed it and lit her cauldron with its flame. The swirling colors began to spark again. "Now that I've used my torch magic in his throne room, I can always view the action there," she smiled slyly, "so let's have a little peek, shall we?..."

**- o - THREE - o - **

"_Oy vey_, what a witch!" Hades groused, "I need her kind of help like I need a hole in my head." He gave a snorting half-laugh at the idea. "In fact, I could live with the hole, no problem."

Pain and Panic, having witnessed the entire Hecate event (the incredible attempt at seduction had made their skins crawl like spastic bugs dancing over their nerves) had finally come out from under the table and rejoined their master. But they both knew

Hades' humor hadn't really returned. And they were still worried about his mental state.

"Uh, say, Boss," Panic ventured, "can't you at least tell us what's wrong?"

"Yeah, I mean we're your loyal, trustworthy minions," Pain nodded. "Who else can you share your woes with?"

They both stood before him, smiling with sparkling sincerity and, oddly enough, what seemed like genuine concern. If Hades hadn't known them so well it made him nauseous, he'd have been almost touched by this.

The god sighed. "Look, I'm just not myself anymore, all right? A week spent in the Vortex of Fire really took it out of me, and I'm not sure when I'll get it back..." He hesitantly reconsidered. "Or how... Or even _if_... I'm having strange thoughts and even stranger feelings..." He meant that in ways he couldn't even express, and didn't care to. Frankly, it scared the shit out of him.

He recalled the week-long immersion in the waters of Pyriphlegethon like the waking nightmare it had been. The searing pain had dulled after an hour or so, then began building again... the voices, the incessant voices, crying and moaning and wailing... the dead hands clinging and tearing at his clothes... He'd been unable to get free. And he might never have gotten out if it hadn't been for the Furies, who could withstand the water, even thrived on it. They'd swum down and found him, fished him out, and then turned him over to Pain and Panic. Who'd cleaned him up, tucked him into bed, and tried to force soup down his throat as though he was ill. But he wasn't ill, he was... losing his mind.

Not only had he suffered, not only was he confused and depressed, but when he was able to sit upright again, the imps delivered more news. While he'd been down in the Vortex, Hermes had dropped by with a missive. Hades was officially ostracized from Olympus and had forfeited his place on the Council. Yeah, like that was a big fat shocker. Hell, they'd been wanting an excuse to kick him out since forever, and now they no doubt wanted his head (or some other, more personally valued, body part) on a spike. He was never Mr. Popularity, but he had royally fucked himself over this time. Exiled for all eternity. To the last place he wanted to be in the whole damned universe. The depression unpacked its bags, kicked up its feet, and settled in to keep him miserable company for a good long while.

He rubbed his temples, head throbbing again. "Boys, let's just say I don't feel so good, okay? So I don't need any more unexpected guests popping in for a while, got it?" he growled pointedly at the imps.

...Who promptly looked terrified and began to sweat bullets, still holding their wide and painful grins.

Fingers still propped at his temples, fangs nearly sparking from friction, Hades asked in a disarmingly soft way, "...Who did you invite...?"

Panic was fidgeting madly. "We didn't know how you were feeling!" he squeaked, pulling his tall pointed horns down to nibble them frantically.

Pain ripped his hair out in handfuls as he yipped, "We thought you might need some advice!" When he ran out of hair, he resorted to twisting his tail into knots.

Hades' blue flame hair flashed golden-red, his skin went from deathly-grey to ember-hot. Smoke roiled from beneath his feet, and began to creep toward the imps threateningly. "Just spit it out!" he barked.

Pain and Panic clung to each other again, caroling in unison._ "The Fates!"_

"Oh, perfect..." Hades' color shifted back, but his sarcasm went into overdrive. At least that much of him was still normal. He laughed without humor as he spoke. "Well, why the hell not? Look how great everything turned out last time I took advice from them."

A voice like a squawking raven interrupted him. "This time is different."

It was Clotho, the Fate who represented the Present, she who wove the threads into the tapestry of life itself. With her ghastly skin and worm-hair, she was hideous to behold but still the fairest of the three, and currently possessed the one eye the dread sisters shared between them.

Hades regarded her with a caustic eye of his own. He sneered, a short laugh following each word he uttered, "Different. Yeah. Right. Prove it."

Lachesis, she of the Past, who measured out the length of the threads of

life, spoke in her gravelly vulture's voice. "We don't have to prove ourselves!" she huffed, as spider legs crept from the nostrils of her long pointed nose, "We are-"

"_-The Fates_," she and Hades finished the sentence together. She, imperiously; he, mockingly nasty.

"Yeah, yeah, tell me something new, babe," he growled.

"Sisters," Clotho spoke again, "we must tell him the truth."

Hades snorted with false humor. "Okay, that would be new."

Then Atropos, the Future aspect, the holder of the shears that cut the threads, her voice a raspy old owl, spoke. But she spoke to Clotho, completely ignoring Hades' presence, which she knew irritated the living hell out of him. "We didn't exactly lie to him last time," she said, "we only tweaked it a bit, by changing that one little word."

"_WHAT?_" Hades flamed, literally and verbally. He leaned forward, snarling in fury, "Which word?"

Atropos deigned to acknowledge him, after she retrieved the eye from Clotho. "'_Should_' instead of '_When_'," she responded casually, her tentacle-hair waving at him. "We told you _'Should_', but we really meant _'When Hercules fights, you will fail'_."

There was a look of blithe indifference on her face. Her sisters expressed mild contempt and concern, Lachesis and Clotho respectively. Hades' face, however, was frozen in a mask of absolute shock and disbelief, eyes bulging, silent as death.

Suddenly he cracked, collapsing forward, hands over his eyes. "Oh, fucking hell," he moaned like a lost soul, "my entire plan hinged on one stinking four-letter word? _I was never meant to win?"_

Clotho sounded almost apologetic. "We had already woven it into the Tapestry of Fate that Hercules would become mortal. You were the only one who could accomplish that for us, so... we made you angry enough to carry it out."

Hades glared from between his fingers, then laughed sharply. "Oh, even better! The whole goddamned thing was about _him_ all along? I was just a pawn for the three of you? I am soooo loving this..." With a sudden thought, he straightened up. "Hang on, hold the phone. You also said '_Zeus will finally fall, and Hades will rule all'_! What about that, huh?" he accused.

"And you did rule all," Atropos said lightly. "For about two minutes."

Hades felt his jaw drop, shocked to the core once again. The prophecy had indeed been fulfilled to the letter, just not the way he'd wanted it. Now he recalled quite clearly the images shown as the prediction had originally unfolded... Hercules, appearing as an adult, eighteen years old, riding on Pegasus to defeat him. If he'd left the boy to grow up as a god, the aging process would have been considerably slower, so it wouldn't have matched the image at all. The Fates had decided Hercules would be mortal and Hades had been their puppet in that task... but they'd also thoroughly planned for Hades to be defeated by him, as a mortal.

Holy shit... He'd defeated himself.

He leaned back heavily, hands over eyes again, cursing incoherently. He'd been played, like a well-tuned lyre by Orpheus himself. Even though he tolerated the Fates for the sake of his affection for their parents, even though they were his own cousins... Even considering all that, if he could have done so he would have found a way to follow them to their secret lair, in a pocket dimension in the very depths of his own kingdom, and then kicked their collective ass to hell and back.

Not that he could have. The Fates were completely inviolable, by gods or anyone else. They were an entity unto themselves. So they did things their way. And their way usually included games and trickery and manipulation, because, let's face it, after so many eons they needed the entertainment. And little did he know, Hades was their choice for New Fall Programming and they didn't want to wait for Summer to end.

Clotho spoke again, encouragingly. "I know things have been a little rough lately. But now we have a new fate for you..."

"I don't think he even deserves to hear it," Lachesis muttered icily, "he's been so rude to us."

At this point, Hades normally would have interjected a protest, flattery, bribes or whatever, to continue the game and eventually draw out the information. But now he simply sat and glared, too tired and too depressed to give a shit anymore.

"Sister," Clotho said softly, "we Fates have been cruel to him for too long. It's time."

Lachesis sighed. Okay, they'd dragged the good-cop-bad-cop scenario out long enough. It was a role they always enjoyed, but Hades wasn't in the proper frame of mind to play along. Plus it really was the allotted time they'd already agreed upon to tell him the news. "Fine," the middle sister grumbled, "if it will stop his useless moping about... Let's do it,"

The Three gathered into a circle as Atropos removed the Eye, letting it float into the air between them. It lifted higher, glowing brightly as the Sisters slowly spun in their circle, beginning the chant they had prepared. Inside the light of the Eye flashed abstract images, describing their words in only the vaguest manner, for a change.

_Where once was only darkness__  
__poor Hades learns_  
_now a small flame_  
_brightly burns_  
_Only at the edge of his_  
_world will he feel_  
_the pain of his suffering_  
_begin to heal_  
_There in brightness grows_  
_a dark flower_  
_filled with never-_  
_before-seen power_  
_Defeat is triumph_  
_in death is renewal_  
_the Flame and the Flower_  
_together shall rule_

As the poem faded away, so did the forms of the Fates. To be contrary, they always drifted away in sparkling smoke to prevent further questioning once they had spoken a prophecy. The echo of their laughter rang throughout the tall throne chamber for several seconds.

A void of silence followed, into which a single hollow, unfeeling phrase was uttered. "_...Ba-da-bing..._"

Then Panic spoke up derisively. "As usual, they make no sense."

But Pain thought so. Well, sort of. "Hey, what about that one part... uh, _'go to the edge of the world and get healed_', or something? Sounds like some kind of vacation, to me."

Lighting up with the idea, Panic addressed their master. "Yeah! That could be just what you need!" he said eagerly, "A little fun in the sun! The wind in your hair!"

"Such as it is," Pain put in.

"The sand between your toes!" Panic went on.

"If you have any under there," Pain said skeptically.

They stopped and smiled with annoying sincerity once more, hoping that the ploy had worked even a little.

It hadn't. Hades regarded them with bland eyes, sneering, "Have you forgotten that I'm in hiding? One step outside and Zeus is likely to fry me extra-crispy. Some vacation plan. But," he said more reasonably, standing up, "I do need some time away from you two, so... _Ciao_." And with that he strode away, right out of the throne room and out into the Underworld.

For a split second, the imps were quiet. Then they breathed a sigh, possibly of relief, perhaps of despair.

"I hope he feels better soon," Pain said, "or we're gonna be up to the ceiling in dead souls."

Panic nodded in response. "More work for us, more responsibility."

"Wonder if we'll get a promotion?" Pain grinned at the thought.

"At least new business cards would be nice," Panic agreed.

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Hecate watched as her mystic flame guttered out with the last images. She smiled darkly to herself. "So that's it... Hades has been weakened... The Vortex of Fire hurt him... _His own powers were used against him!_" she chuckled delightedly. "I can't imagine anything reversing that!"

"The Fates," Havoc mentioned gently, "seem to know of something."

"Hmm... Indeed..." Hecate frowned in consideration, then turned to the hellhounds. "All right, I'm going to be working on this angle for a while. You two keep an eye on the Underworld exit. If he leaves, follow him wherever he goes and report back to me."

"You bet!" Havoc sat upright, saluting with one paw, "We'll _dog _his every step!"

Mayhem joined in, quipping. "We'll _hound_ him to the ends of the earth!"

Snickering at their own cleverness, as well as knowing how much Hecate despised their horrid puns, they took to the air and left the grotto.

"Minions," Hecate muttered to herself, disgusted.

Then she began to ponder all that she'd witnessed of the Lord of the Dead's plight. It seemed the god was weakened and unsure of himself, and worried about improvement. It was as if he was suddenly stricken with impotence. _No wonder he turned me down_, she smirked to herself.

But there was one thing even better. Hades was responsible for what happened to Hercules as a baby. No one else must have known, or Zeus would have surely punished him already. It was this secret that would be the key to open a Pandora's box of misery for Hades.

Plus it would serve the bastard right, for refusing her generous offer in the first place. She had given him a very easy way to go, to willingly share his kingdom while she casually took it over from the inside. But if he wanted to play rough, she'd find a way to grind him between that rock and a hard place. Too bad she hadn't mastered the trick her aunt Circe used on men who foolishly spurned her. Hades would have made a perfect pork roast.

Chuckling to herself, Hecate once again burst into song, her voice dripping with scorn.

_Exploiting his weakness__  
__seems heartless and cruel_  
_but that's the breaks, babe_  
_when you're destined to rule_  
_I'm Queen of the Night_  
_and I won't be refused_  
_that throne will be mine..._  
_and Hades... will... lose!_

The grotto echoed with her delighted wicked laughter. This Summer would have a very good ending, indeed.

ς

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	3. Styx & Stones

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_(In which Hades mopes, the River Styx declares she is going on strike, and two dead kings give Hades unsolicited advice that actually makes sense.)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3 : STYX & STONES**  
Στυφοκοπος

Hades trudged through the Underworld, following along the banks of the River Acheron. He wasn't really sure what he was doing at the moment. Actually that was an understatement. He hadn't been sure of anything at all, for weeks. So much had happened, so much had changed both inside and out that he barely even knew who he was anymore. And now the Fates had given him proof that he was as pathetic as he felt. His life didn't mean jack shit.

He felt like he was running on automatic pilot, and blamed that feeling for bringing him to the river. What a shame he couldn't just drown himself in it. He really hadn't had a clear idea of arriving here, or of leaving for this so-called vacation the imps seemed to think he needed, but yet... here he stood.

He stared forlornly across the vast, dark waters of Acheron. On the far bank in a small alcove, was a pool of water separate from the river, and beside this stood a lone dead tree. Its tall, white leafless pillar of a trunk was stark as a bleached bone against the black Underworld walls. How many times had he sat by that tree, drinking from the waters of Mnemosyne, trying to recapture memories, trying to revive what was long dead and gone? And how could it be, after so many centuries, that the thoughts still ripped little pieces out of what remained of his heart?

There had been scant few moments during his life that he'd felt less than utterly alone. He'd been cursed with an inner darkness, always threatening to rear its ugly head and blot out the light, a light which no longer shone from his body but which at least for five centuries had shone from his heart. For that brief span of his eternal existence, he'd been blessed and felt completed. Then it had been torn from his grasp too easily, and he'd been plunged into a nightmare of loneliness.

A measly few had tried to help fill the void, in their own way, with some small pleasures and comforts. But in the end, as it could only be, he'd drunk the half-full glass they offered and found it did not refill itself. Trying to find ways and means to fill it himself had failed. He resorted to things he had refused in the beginning to even consider doing, and felt a mild shame over them. He was hollowed and burned out inside. There was nothing to save him emotionally, and only revenge had kept some tiny spark of desire to go on awake in him.

He'd managed to survive the constant grinding aloneness, but only at the expense of wrapping his heart up in chains, never allowing himself to unlock it again. The long years of intense focus upon that act had created a kind of dark magic for itself, weaving a spell on his heart that couldn't be broken, not by himself. By now, of course, the lock on the inner chains was completely rusted over. Yet sometimes, on the darkest of nights, in the deepness of desolation - and once, ten years ago, upon seeing an extraordinary individual he simply couldn't forget and knew he could never have - _sometimes he wished he hadn't thrown away the key._

Not that anyone would ever care for him in return, he told himself. Why should they? He'd given in to the darkness, let it escape him and wreak havoc on the world and the people around him, none of which he'd cared about either. Until lately. And now he'd begun to regret, and that gnawed at him almost as badly at the piranhas of loneliness.

Damn it, everything was falling to pieces. His brain, his soul... Maybe he did need to get away. But where could he go? And for how long? Indecision gripped him in thorny paws as he walked further on, past Cerberus who whined at him as if aware of his mood. Finally passing through the arched gateway, he stopped on the shores of the River Styx, and gave a deep soulful sigh.

He could go nowhere that didn't remind him of his own personal hell. Every part of this place was a testament to misery. As he watched the souls floating listlessly through the purple waters of Styx, he saw their eyes flash past. Some were not aware of his presence, but others met his gaze pointedly and accusingly. Hades was not responsible for their deaths, nor was he to blame for the fact they had to be in the Underworld forever. Yet he was the scapegoat for their suffering. He wondered briefly what these souls experienced in their death, whether they burned like the ones in the Vortex, or merely anguished as the ones in Acheron did. And once again, he was beset by a longing to stop it all, to erase it. Perhaps, he thought, that's all he'd ever wanted to do, while trying to get out of the darkness and back to Olympus. Maybe he'd just been going about it all the wrong way...

His reverie was interrupted by a sudden ghostly movement to the side. Okay, so it was ghosts. A pair of transparent yet distinguished-looking dead men, still resplendent in decorative himation, chlamys, crowns and jewels from their former lives, stood nearby regarding him with polite curiosity. Hades spoke first. "Who the hell are you two?"

The shorter, slightly plump, curly-haired man smiled. "Oh, All-receiving Ruler of the Underworld, we are Aiakos," he indicated himself, "and Rhadamanthys." He inclined a hand toward his sterner-looking companion, who bowed slightly.

This announcement did little to impress Hades, especially delivered in the cloying kiss-ass manner. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he droned dismissively. "Now get back in the river where you belong."

"Sorry, oh mighty Inflexible One," the taller one said, stroking his beard, "but the Goddess Styx herself sort of, well, kicked us out."

Hades gazed at them for a silent second, eyes flat. "Excuse me?" he drawled, his voice flatter still.

"Well, why not ask her for yourself," Rhadamanthys said, waving a hand toward the river.

The goddess, once a simple nymph eons ago, rose up from the water. Her shape was a purple-hued rippling tidal wave. Upon gaining divinity, she had spent most of her time in this form, though still retaining something of her original nymph appearance -long hair, large slanted eyes, pointed ears. She could use human speech but often declined, her voice remaining as the churning water of the river itself. She regarded Hades with a blank expression.

Hades was always impressed with the image of this deity, so unlike any other that few could properly understand or commune with her. She'd been part of the river longer than he'd even held his throne. He could interpret her speech, though it was entirely at her whim and largely telepathic. When he spoke it was genuinely friendly, as always to the other divine beings living in his kingdom. "Styxie, sweetheart, long time no see. Looking good, as always. Is that a new wave-do? Very stylish," he schmoozed, shameless as ever. "So, babe, what's the deal here?" He indicated the two souls beside him.

Styx wasn't one to mince words, when she bothered to speak. She opened her mouth, erupting into the sound of a rushing waterfall.

Hades frowned slightly at her words. "_'No more room'?_" he repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Styx spoke again, the crashing of waves against a distant shore.

Hades flared up a bit. "_'Find someplace else to keep the souls'?_ Excuse me, but just what do you expect me to do?" he demanded gently, "Build them all condos?"

Styx spoke once more, the slow steady drip of water that would in time carve a canyon through solid rock.

And Hades felt himself wilt and pale, saying in a small voice, "You wouldn't..."

The watery goddess merely lifted one liquid eyebrow and smiled. Then she flowed away, becoming one with the river again.

For a moment Hades just stood staring into the empty space where she'd been, too shocked to move. Then he finished the sentence, weakly. "...You would..."

His day was just getting worse and worse. What Styx had said was absolutely the worst thing he could have imagined happening, at the worst possible time. No, that was understating also. He _never_ could have imagined this happening, at any time, _ever._

"...Shit...," was all he said.

When he didn't move or speak again for a while, Aiakos spoke up instead. "Pardon, Lord Hades... what did she say?"

Numbly, Hades found himself answering. "She gave me an ultimatum... She says she was never meant to be a dump for the dead, so she's kicking more souls out every day... that I have to figure out another way to keep them... and in two weeks she'll be empty of all souls, come hell or high water..."

And since the river wound around the outside of the Underworld nine times... that made one grand hell of a lot of souls.

His brain felt like it was liquefying behind his eyes and leaking out his ears. He almost hoped it would. Somehow, impossibly, things had reached proportions of badness not even a god could cope with. It wasn't just his inner world that was crashing down around his ears, his kingdom was about to be put out of commission as well. He was damned, and not just in his usual ways.

Aiakos grew thoughtful. "Perhaps, my Lord, we were chosen to be removed first for a reason... To help you."

Rhadamanthys caught the drift easily. "Yes, in life we were kings and judges, renowned for our wise counsel."

Hades' eyesight re-focused, and he angled a cool sidelong stare at the two kings. They smiled with the same sort of irritating sincerity his imps had demonstrated. This was becoming tiresome.

"Wise men, eh?" the dark god drawled. "Okay then, wiseguys, riddle me this: _Where is the edge of our world?_" Then he muttered, "I'm thinking of taking a flying leap off it."

However the kings took his request seriously, sensing his actual curiosity for an answer. "Do you mean _'our'_ world? Or_ 'the' _world?" Rhadamanthys said.

"Yes, if it's _'our'_ world, the Greek world," replied Aiakos, "it might be the Garden of the Hesperides..."

"But if it's _'the'_ world... it could be nearly anywhere," Rhadamanthys continued.

"Indeed." Aiakos nodded.

These two were just a smarter, more helpful version of his imps. Great. Hades sighed wearily, shaking his head. "I just know what the Fates said. They made a prediction for me. Yadda-yadda-yadda, _'only at the edge of his world'_, etc.-etc., you get the drift..."

Aiakos brightened. "Ah, that's a different matter!"

"Yes indeed," smiled Rhadamanthys, "what they mean is _'your' _world, as God of the Dead. Is there someplace that death never reaches?"

"Other than Mt. Olympus, of course...?" Aiakos added.

Hades raised his brows, mildly impressed. Hard as it was to believe, these two actually seemed to have solved a piece of the puzzle for him. Perhaps they really could be of some minimal help. He considered the information carefully. "Hmm... I've heard of an island... Nysa, I think it's called. Supposed to be a sort of paradise for immortals. Owned and operated by Demeter, if memory serves. Never actually been there, though..."

Nodding wisely, Rhadamanthys said, "I would bet that is the place to which they refer."

"Perhaps you might consider a short visit," Aiakos agreed, "to relax and contemplate."

Hades mused, thinking the vacation idea might not be so bad, though now it would be sort of a working vacation. He needed time away to think about his options, limited as they were. And he was so depressed being at home, that he wouldn't be able to think clearly here. Something in the back of his mind also tingled with an odd sort of expectancy, as though it knew this was the path to take, as if he was on the brink of an important discovery. A little confused by the feeling, he nodded with decision. "Yeah, maybe... Just a short trip... Couldn't hurt..."

Nearby was a small aerie wherein a black griffin nested. Hades hitched the creature up to the winged chariot parked outside the beast's resting place, and climbed inside. Then he suddenly sighed and slumped his shoulders, remembering why he hadn't left earlier. The whole Zeus-wants-to-seriously-kick-my-ass thing he had going on. Plus Demeter wasn't exactly his best friend, and she might not appreciate his dropping in uninvited. Hell, he was on everyone's shit-list right now. If anyone saw him and reported his whereabouts, it would royally suck.

He snapped his fingers, and a dark skull-like helmet manifested out of thin air in a puff of smoke. "Better take my Helmet of Invisibility," he muttered, "just in case." Tucking the helmet under his arm, he lifted the reins and gently tapped the griffin's flanks with the leather, clucked a soft "h'ya," and the magical creature lunged forward, leaping into the air with dragon-wings spread. The chariot soared away toward a far-off lighted opening that led out of the Underworld.

The two dead kings still stood on the river bank, waving and calling out cheerily to the departing Lord of the Underworld.

"Bon voyage!"

"Have a good time!"

When the god was gone, Styx rose from the water once more and nodded with approval toward the kings. They bowed humbly in her direction and she splashed back down again.

Frankly, they were glad to be of service in this most interesting plot brewing between Styx and the Fates. They didn't yet understand the details, only that it was very important to all concerned that Hades make severe changes in the Underworld. It promised to be a divine comedy, and they had front row seats and backstage passes to the event, as well as occasional supporting roles.

Rhadamanthys smiled at his longtime friend in life and death. "Think he'll find what he's looking for out there?"

Aiakos crossed his arms, shrugging. "Only if he's not too bone-headed to recognize it when he sees it."

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	4. Big Trouble in Little Paradise

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades visits the happiest island in the Ionic Sea and manages not to vomit, and Persephone demonstrates poetic teenaged angst about her mother's plans. (contains singing)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 4 : BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE PARADISE  
**Οταν Κοσμοι Συγκρουομαι

**- o - ONE - o - **

The chariot exited the Underworld near the cliffs of Amoudia, flying low over the waters of the Ionian Sea. Soon it was entering the mists of magic surrounding the island of Nysa. And all the while, it was being stalked. Hovering far overhead to avoid detection, were the two hellhounds. When the chariot swooped over the island, and dived down to find a landing spot, the hellhounds followed. But they hadn't noticed the shimmering dome of protective light surrounding the island. And when they connected, it shot through them like a bolt of lightning.

The scent of fried fur accompanied their graceless plummet into the sea. Cursing and sputtering, they hauled themselves from the water onto a reef of rock jutting farther from the shore, and began licking their wounds.

Mayhem snarled in disgust as she tended her once-sleek fur. "Is that what I think it is?"

Havoc squinted at the light, studying it expertly, then sighed. "Yep, that's a high level spell, set by a goddess. Only gods and other immortals can enter. So I guess the griffin was given immortality. Lucky bastard."

"Well, goddamn it!" the female hellhound grumbled, "We're magically-conjured infernal beings, and our mistress is immortal! Why can't we follow him in there?"

"Because we're not immortal, yet. She has to grant that to us personally..."

"Which she never will, if we can't get the goods on Hades!" the darker demon lamented.

Her pale partner sighed. "Look, just cool, it Mayhem. Hades is too nervous about being caught outdoors to stay very long. He's gotta leave eventually. We'll wait. In the meantime..." He turned to soothingly groom her ears, which she couldn't reach, and she finally settled down with an almost contented sigh.

**- o - TWO - o -**

The island wasn't very large, but it made up for lack of size with sheer, unadulterated beauty. The views would have made hardened soldiers weep and begin to compose lyrical poetry.

Hades hated it on sight.

He parked the chariot behind a thick stand of bushes, gave the griffin a treat and told him to be quiet. Then he wandered invisibly through the lush meadows of the island, his every footstep crushing dainty flowers and kicking up clouds of delicate butterflies. Bunnies cavorted about with full knowledge of how ridiculously adorable and fluffy they were. Birds warbled their eternal happiness from every branch of every carefully-crafted tree.

It was so blasphemously idyllic, it made him physically ill.

"Well," he drawled, "isn't this lovely? So rosy, so sunny, so... yeeeeuck."

He continued further inland and found the view didn't improve, though his sarcasm got honed to a fine edge. "Why do I even listen to the Fates anymore? And what's all this _'flower power'_ shit, what is that?" he inquired nastily of the pure breathable air. "What the fuck am I supposed to do here? Skip along, tra-la-la, picking daisies?" He snorted with extreme irritation. "Bullshit..."

As he shook his helmeted head, he noticed something different. Ahead was a grove of thick trees, darker and more foreboding than anything else on the island. "Hello... what's this?" He held up his invisible hands, framing the view with thumbs and forefingers, even though he could hardly see them. "A single dark spot in an otherwise disgustingly perfect picture... Hmm..."

It seemed the only thing worth investigating, so he turned to smoke and rematerialized into the center of the grove.

The high interlaced canopy of trees nearly blotted out the sunlight, ivy and moss dripping down from branches and trunks. The undergrowth was tangled as well, closely grown with myrtle, fig, and wild rose vines. Ghostly pale narcissus and asphodel peaked out warily along with fragrant mint, seeking what little light there was. A tall pomegranate shrub grew near the center of the grove, filled with large dark blooms, still too early for fruit, its thorns grown especially long and nasty. A row of black poplar and sturdy cypress trees stood like disapproving sentries on one side of the grove. And several enormous weeping willows hung drearily over a babbling stream, the one thing in the grove that looked fairly normal.

Quite a difference in terrain here. It seemed unlikely Demeter had designed this area, since she was inclined toward sunniness and cheer. No, somebody with a flair for the dismal had done the exterior decorating. Overall, it reminded him of home.

Glancing around, he wondered if he might yet find what he was looking for. He approached the pomegranate bush, muttering to himself. "Hmm, these flowers are kind of dark... Wonder if this is what the Fates meant..."

He regarded the annoyingly lovely red flowers suspiciously, as if their very presence compromised his grim reaper reputation. In too many ways, they did. If anyone had ever witnessed him picking flowers, they'd have laughed until they dropped dead, which would serve them right. Plus he had no clue what he needed to do, when and if he found this supposed miracle flower.

"So what do I do, eat it? Make a wreath and wear it?" he grumbled, reaching out to brush the petals with a fingertip. They were not only lovely but softer than anything he'd ever touched. He became further annoyed by this fact, and by the sudden desire to bend his head and inhale the perfume. He snarled, opening his hand to crush the nearest flower into non-existence. "Maybe they meant I should shove it up their a-"

Then a thorn sank deep into his palm, and he reacted with pent-up hostility. Angry over the events of the day, the recent weeks, the last eighteen goddamned years... he literally exploded, roaring like a demon beast from hell. It was fairly impressive, the way flames shot up to the sky in a scorching pillar, smoke following in a vaguely mushroom-shaped cloud.

He breathed heavily as he struggled to calm himself. He clamped his helmet down firmly, as it had all but popped off his head when he'd done the volcano impression. Looking hastily around, he saw no sign of witnesses and his breath became a sigh of relief. Then he noticed the pomegranate bush... or what remained of it. That, and a roughly circular patch of grass about ten feet around where he stood, were now burnt to a crisp. Actually, he'd been fairly restrained, since the rest of the grove still stood untouched.

His temper flowed away like sour water, leaving a bad taste on his heart. He'd been deeply downhearted these last few weeks, but at least he'd been relatively calm. The first time in years he'd held his rages in reasonable check, mostly because he'd lacked the energy or the drive to let it loose. Now that the outburst was over, the sensation of sinking into an emotional morass began to return. He hadn't been this overall depressed in nearly seven hundred years, not since... The thought creeping back into consciousness was enough to doom him, and he hung his head. His whole life was screwed. Nothing really mattered, did it? Hadn't mattered for a very long time.

"What the hell am I doing here?" he whispered.

Something about the hanging dark willows beckoned him to seek refuge. He ambled slowly toward one, and parted the dragging branches like a curtain, as thoughts of desolation once again overtook his brain.

"This isn't going to help me fix all my problems," he said of the poor excuse for a vacation, "nothing will..." Underneath the tree's dome was a private world of deep green shadow. The perfect place to sulk. He sat down on the sparse grass, leaned against the trunk of the tree, arms on lifted knees and head drooped morosely. "And when I get back home," he continued to the uncaring air, "I'll still be in the bottom of a bottomless pit... it's hopeless."

If he'd been feeling more like himself, he'd have noticed the slight movement of the ground beneath him, and the sudden appearance of a fully grown flower nearby. Eventually he turned his head that direction, purely randomly, and spied the stray golden-white narcissus, seeming as forlorn and lost as he. Feeling a peculiar sense of symbolism, he reached out and plucked it. Below him, the earth herself smiled in warm triumph.

The sweet fragrance of the blooms reached his nostrils, and he was reminded again of things he'd sooner have forgotten. He wondered idly if he had killed the flower by picking it, tearing it from its roots. But probably it was immortal as everything on this island, benefiting from a goddess' protection.

Or from a dose of nectar. Which was the only thing that he personally could have done to make a plant immortal, to prevent losing it forever...

It was hard to tell, since he was sitting in the dark plus invisible, but there might have been a slight glint of dampness near his eyes.

**- o - THREE - o -**

Half an hour later, after the welcoming party on Olympus had subsided and the world was preparing for night, Demeter finally decided it was time to take Persephone home. Besides, the girl was a complete wet blanket and she didn't seem to be inclined to stop.

Outside the edge of the dark grove on Nysa, a light of manifestation appeared, a form gradually solidifying within it. It took on the shape of an enormous flower, which unfurled vines and leaves to the ground, and then bloomed open. Inside the flower were Demeter and Persephone, who personally detested her mother's favored form of transport. It always felt so claustrophobic. She was grateful when she breathed open air again, and hastily stepped down from the heart of the flower, using the petals and leaves as a stairway.

Demeter spoke cheerily, trying to engage her daughter. "My goodness! Wasn't that an exciting day?"

"Sure..." Persephone droned, "great..."

Not the response Demeter had wanted, but expected nonetheless. What went on in her child's mind, she no longer had a clue, and the sense of angst the girl now expressed baffled her. She didn't think she'd ever behaved that way when she'd been young. She approached her daughter and gently touched her arm, glad when it was not pulled away. "Oh, my Kore... my darling child," she said softly, with honest concern, "I know you've been melancholy lately, it shows all through your grove, so dark and gloomy... But I'd hoped that today would cheer you up."

Persephone sighed. Her mother thought she was helping, even when she was so sheltering it nearly choked the immortal life out of her own child. "I know, Mother," she replied, "I just... I..." She couldn't find words to express even to herself what she felt half the time anymore, let alone to anyone else. "Oh, never mind," she finished, frustrated.

Demeter was a bit worried. She had never gotten around to telling her daughter about the changes made, about the new age of consent, and really didn't want to. This was her own flesh and ichor, her baby girl, hers and hers alone, and she wanted her around for as long as possible. The age of twenty-one had been perfectly fine, since that meant a full sixty-three earthly years before she'd have no choice but to release control. She wasn't ready to let go... But now Persephone chafed and fretted, almost as if she instinctively knew it was past time to leave the nest.

Now Demeter thought she might have another way to placate her child. She had begun to wonder if companionship other than what the local oceanides and nereides provided might be of aid, and had formulated her own theory, which led to a plan of action. A man, the right man, a warm, gentlemanly, positive influence in her daughter's life. A handsome young god who would sweetly hold her innocent hand, sing her pretty songs, recite lovely poems, bring her sunshine on a rainy day. Though she herself wasn't interested in such things, she thought perhaps it might be beneficial to her child, just until this gloomy phase passed. She thought she'd figured it all out, when she failed miserably to have even a clue. (Proving that you should only play matchmaker when it's your divine godly right.)

"Well, I think I know what will snap you out of it," she said, in a tone of voice that made Persephone aware she'd thought of something else for her daughter to do, something that would be, as usual, either annoying, boring or pointless.

Persephone turned away to prevent her mother from seeing her face when the bombshell got dropped. She could tell immediately, it would be a situation like so many others, wherein she wound up repeating key words from her mother's lecture back at her, in an attempt to sound interested and attentive. But something also told her this time was going to be of unknowably bad proportions.

Demeter went on, "I arranged a _terrific_ date for you... with Apollo!"

Oh. It was far worse than she'd been prepared for. Her heart sinking about ankle-deep, Persephone said breathlessly, "Terrific..."

And Demeter was, as always, completely unaware. "I couldn't help but overhear you two talking..." Of course she'd overheard. She'd been standing less than a foot away. She had, in fact, been the one to instigate the idea. "And I knew you two would hit it off! I've had an eye on him as a _wonderful_ potential suitor for you for a while now!" she confided happily.

"Wonderful," Persephone responded liltingly, with hidden sarcasm that punctured holes in her tongue. Her life force was ebbing away with dread.

Taking the word at face value, Demeter proceeded to babble happily, "It was just as I anticipated, you both look so absolutely beautiful together, so ideal! You know, I always did have an eye for such match-ups. I was, after all, one of the foremost to encourage Aphrodite and Hephaestus to begin dating. And everyone knows how _perfect_ they are for each other!" (Proving that you should only predict the future if its your divine godly right, as well.)

"Perfect," Persephone remarked, closing her eyes against further motherly assault of the senses. When would this torture ever end? Some days it didn't pay to be immortal.

Demeter wrapped it up smoothly, convinced that her daughter was won over. "Well, I'm going to be very busy for the next three or four days, what with these Late Summer/First Harvest celebrations I have to kick off and attend. Then of course, there's all the offerings I have to receive afterward. Everyone wants a bountiful Great Harvest this Autumn Equinox... your sweet sixteenth birthday, my dear. Which I promise we will celebrate together, along with the mortals." She fondly sighed at her precious daughter, who was growing up far too quickly. Then she continued, "Ah, yes, a goddess' work is never done. But you won't be all alone. Apollo is coming by first thing tomorrow morning to pick you up for a _fabulous_ day together, so be ready, okay?"

"Fabulous," Persephone mouthed with a tiny smile, covering the numbness she was feeling. In the back of her brain, she frantically thought of all the secret hiding places Nysa afforded, in anticipation of the coming date.

Demeter beamed with delight. Certain that her work here was done, that her daughter would slough off this unbecoming malaise when in the company of the bright occasional-sun-god himself, she bid adieu. Re-entering the huge flower, which began to seal around her, she waved in her child's direction. "I'll see you in a few days. Until then, you have an absolutely _splendid_ time!"

"Yeah. Splendid. You bet," Persephone intoned. When the flower had dematerialized and she was alone again, she forced her feet to move in the direction of her grove. It was her only personal space, such as it was, and it truly reflected her feelings lately. Alive with depression.

It had been a wretched day, not to mention week, and perhaps even month. Okay, let's face it, more than half a decade already.

But as for recently... First she had been saddled with an official goddess position, unasked for, under the auspices of the need for a meaningful job at this stage in her life, and because her mother was much busier now and could honestly use the help. Demeter was not only taking care of her duties as the Goddess of the Fields, but also attending long Council meetings on Olympus. So after the Summer Solstice had waned, a small ceremony had been performed at home, wherein the mother bestowed half of her power upon her daughter, all with unnecessary pageantry and seriousness.

Then today Persephone had been hauled all the way to Olympus to make the grand announcement, where she couldn't hide from prying eyes or questions. At first she had kept her responses to a minimum, short and mumbled, hardly smiling. Then her mother had frowned in that _don't-you-_dare_-embarrass-me-young-lady_ kind of way, signaling a far worse time ahead if she didn't straighten up. So she had put a little more effort into it, along with a small fake smile, but she was far from thrilled at being on display. Several gods and goddesses had chatted inanely at her, and most had seemed... well, frankly, brain-dead. Okay, Hermes had been pretty nice, and Cupid seemed okay though maybe a little too inquisitive. But a few deities, most particularly Zeus, had actually expressed puzzlement over her dolorous attitude about life. After all, he had said, she was now the goddess of bright new life itself, so she should be more cheerful and lively and... _perky_. Persephone had shut her mind off after that, keeping her comments very innocuous and empty, her face sarcastically waifish with every word. Just what everyone seemed to expect. It was the most grueling experience of her life so far.

The early years of her immortal life were not so bad, and parent and child had been quite close during pre-teens years. The long endless days had been filled with laughter and nymph playmates, gathering flowers in the fields and splashing happily in the crystal springs; the pleasant nights had been spent lounging about a campfire, singing and weaving the flowers of the day into their hair, while her mother told her of the fascinating things she'd done outside the island paradise. Demeter had been a devoted mother, and a good teacher when it came to their shared domain of power. Persephone had been a happy, bright, carefree child, and developed her powers rapidly. Now she truly was ready for the sole responsibility of Springtime. She'd learned everything there was to know about nature and growth and life... except how to live it for herself.

But the last few years... things had changed. Until six years ago, she'd been perfectly content. Then somehow, inexplicably, something had altered in her heart. She began to see clearly just how possessive and exclusive her mother was concerning their relationship. Her entire life up to then, she hadn't questioned why they almost never left the island, why so few gods visited them. And in fact it had never been gods, but goddesses only: Artemis, Athena, her aunt Hestia. As of the beginning of her puberty, anytime she was taken elsewhere and male gods were present, her mother wedged herself between them and Persephone, and often just took her back home without a word. Slowly it dawned on her... the only solid influences she'd had in her early years were nymphs and virgin goddesses, all of them either innocently playful or deliberately out-of-the-loop in some important way. Mother just simply didn't want her to grow up, at all. Oddly, she was trying to defy nature itself.

However, Demeter did seem to want to play Fate with her daughter's life, thinking perhaps it was time for the child to grow up, but only on the mother's terms. A mate of sorts had been chosen, one Persephone wouldn't have chosen for herself on a drunken bet. Well, not that she had ever _been_ drunk of course, or even made a bet for that matter, but she was certain she'd have still refused Apollo. True, he was considered extremely handsome, and she vaguely supposed he was, but she couldn't have cared less. As uninformed as she knew she was, she could still almost smell the hormones wafting off of him. He was cocky and vain and hid his lechery behind pretty words. And that made him ugly to her. She wondered if her mother even knew what sort of man he really was.

Persephone dragged her feet along, thinking about her miserable excuse for a life. Sometimes she wished she could just run away and never come back. Nysa was Demeter's official seat of power, and what she said was law. Though no god or immortal was ever exactly _barred _from entering Nysa, Demeter had always made it extremely clear that to visit without a direct invitation would be frowned upon most harshly. Not only that, but most requests to leave the island were usually denied, although in the form of firm but gentle lectures about the unfriendly conditions of the world outside, and how grateful Persephone should be to live in such a safe and wholesome environment. If it hadn't been for the one friend she cared to keep, Persephone would have been even more totally clueless about the real world outside her home. Although she could physically leave anytime, she knew that her mother would always track her down and bring her back. There was no place to go, and no one to go to. She was imprisoned in paradise.

As the goddess' ponderous steps traced the path of the little stream running through her grove, an oceanid with lilac-skin and aquamarine hair, and large dark-blue pools for eyes, rose up to greet her. Rhodope was one of dozens of water nymphs on Nysa, and was the one real friend the young goddess had. The nymph waved hello and splashed water about playfully, but Persephone scarcely lifted her hand in return.

Rhodope was aware of Persephone's recent mood. They had shared confidences for many years, long enough that the goddess understood nymph-speech perfectly. The nymph often left the island, swimming out to sea to visit friends, and she brought back news and gossip of the world and told of silly romantic adventures those other friends were having. This had served to partly educate the innocent goddess in some facts of life outside Nysa. Of course, Demeter would not have approved, but that made Persephone want information all the more.

Unfortunately, lately it seemed Persephone was always depressed. The more she heard of things she could not experience, the more restless she grew. Rhodope wished dearly she could have helped in some way. But, alas, a water nymph alone had little to offer but a sympathetic ear and an oceanful of patience and kindness. This was why the young goddess called her 'friend'.

Now Persephone moved along the bank of the spring, not looking up until she was in the heart of her dark grove. There she stopped and stood still. She removed the flower headdress she wore. Holding it in both hands, she took a deep cleansing breath.

Then screamed.

"_AAHHH!_ I CAN'T _TAKE_ ANYMORE!"

Hades' head snapped up sharply, his entire body rigid and prepared for fight-or-flight. "Whatthefu-!" he muttered. Sounds of rending cloth and angered muttering came from outside his leafy sanctuary. What in hell was happening out there? Curious but very cautious, he crept forward, keeping low and quiet as possible. When he reached the hanging branches, he used one finger to part them enough to peek out.

And promptly felt his brain tumble into an abyss from which he would never hope to return.

_"Whoa..."_

That single whispered syllable, combined with the fact he couldn't breathe or blink or turn away, told all. Before him was the most heavenly sight his ancient eyes had ever beheld. A goddess -young and beautiful and giving potent new meaning to the word 'nubile'- was angrily ripping a pink item of clothing to shreds and complaining aloud to a water nymph who nodded in sympathy.

Then in an instant he recognized her. And his heart utterly stopped. When it started beating again, it did so with a jolt, executed a double-flip, and collapsed exhausted in his chest. Hades was suddenly glad beyond words that he'd made this trip.

"Rhodope, I cannot_ believe_ this!" Persephone wailed, removing the rosy-pink peplos she wore. "She picks my _job!_ She picks my _clothes!_" she sneered, dropping the peplos on top of the torn headdress. "And now she's picking my_ boyfriend?_"

The nymph, her voice like the burbling of the stream she sat in, made many sympathetic noises and shook her head in disbelief.

"I think she's actually gone blind!" Persephone snorted indignantly. "Couldn't she see I have, like, less than zero interest in Apollo?"

At the name mentioned, Rhodope all but squealed. She leapt out of the water like a cheerleader (or perhaps, more accurately, a spawning salmon) with a waterfalling giggle of pure delight. She adored the sun and its warmth on the surface of her stream, keeping her warm on cold winter days. So naturally she adored the one who usually drove the sun chariot as well. Besides, Apollo was a major stud muffin!

"Yes, yes, I know _you_ like him. Girlfriend, you can have him," Persephone commented wryly, arms crossed. But she also smiled at her friend's antics, her mood a little less furious and returning more to its standard dreary. She sighed. "I don't know how much more I can take, though. Mother doesn't listen to a word I say... I'm trapped here for the foreseeable future... and everyone wants me to be something I'm not..."

She slumped, disheartened, sinking down onto the grass beside the stream. Rhodope, now calmed down, sat on a large flat stone in the stream and frowned at her sadly.

Sighing, Persephone said, "I just wish someone would really hear me... for once..." Then she began to sing softly.

_All my life I've been defined__  
__by what others think they see_  
_so young, so fragile, so helpless_  
_but I know that's not really me_  
_Somehow I've got to show them all_  
_what's happened inside me_  
_I've grown, I've changed, I've moved beyond_  
_what they all think I should be_

_If someone could uncover__  
__what goes on in my mind_  
_they'd soon enough discover_  
_there's more to me than meets the eye_

She rose again and began to walk slowly along the bank of the stream, hugging herself. Rhodope followed, swimming through the water.

_The little girl__  
__I've played the part_  
_now I need to do_  
_what's in my heart_  
_Gotta find a way to be what I'll be_  
_This life is empty_  
_what's it for_  
_I'm sure the Fates_  
_have more in store_  
_Some way to express the real me_

She began to sing more purposefully now, her voice defining the long-contained feelings, the frustration of her very existence.

_The gods are chained to status quo__  
__and I'm so ready to break free_  
_to run, to fly, to live at last_  
_to start being who I'm meant to be_  
_So let's shatter my perfect image_  
_I won't be a child eternally_  
_I'm ready, I'm willing, I'm able now_  
_to finally become the real me_

Her eyes closed, head back, she sang to the stars of her deepest emotion, what she barely understood but felt every waking moment.

_I never could describe__  
__this aching in my soul_  
_but I'm ready now to find_  
_the missing piece that makes me whole_

She began to dance then, grabbing up the discarded peplos, whirling it around her body. She moved as gracefully as a dream. Rhodope made ripples and waves in the stream, surfing along in time with the tune.

_No more standing still__  
__gotta move it or lose it_  
_I've got the strength_  
_just gotta use it_  
_I can't wait for eternity_  
_My life has changed_  
_so right or wrong_  
_I've got to find_  
_where I belong_  
_The world where at last I'll be..._  
_the real... me..._

She twirled to a stop, letting the peplos fly away with its own momentum and flutter down again onto the grass. Her brief enthusiasm and certainty began to fade in the light of reality. "Now," she mused, "if I could only figure out _how.._."

Then something caught her eye. It was dark in the grove by day, and darker still by night, but her godly aura illuminated things well enough. Even in the semi-light, the patch of complete blackness was noticeable. She approached, seeing it was a burnt-out circle of grass, in the middle of which stood a cinder that used to be a pomegranate bush. The hair on back of her neck rose slightly.

Aloud, she said, _"Someone else is here..."_

ι

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	5. Blind Date With Destiny

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades and Persephone have a Love At First Sight moment, Cupid does his duty, and the new couple make plans for a long sleep-over._

* * *

******CHAPTER 5 : BLIND DATE WITH DESTINY  
**Συναπτο Λινον Λινω

**- o -ONE - o -**

"Ah... shit," Hades barely breathed. He'd forgotten about incinerating the bush. And now he was stuck, having missed any opportunity to escape unnoticed during the young goddess' song soliloquy. Frankly, he'd been too enraptured by the view -those slim golden flashing legs, that perfect face, that flowing cloud of flaming-red hair- to even think of leaving. If he tried to manifest himself gone now, it would give him away as clearly as an outright confession.

Persephone cast her eyes nervously around the grove, holding her breath. Was the intruder still present? She spoke, slowly and cautiously, hopefully only to herself. "Okay... I know you're not one of the oceanides, no nymph could do this. So you must be a god..." Her heart pounded frantically with the next thought. _Apollo_. He'd come to Nysa early. To catch her alone, unprotected...

But she _wasn't _unprotected. She was in her own home, where she was most powerful. Her nerves rippled, first with fear then with anger. How dare he think he could just sneak up on her, before the time her mother had arranged? Not that she wanted to see him in the first place, but he certainly wasn't behaving like a gentleman. Not that he was one... The mixture of anxiety and indignation radiated from her body, and sent the plant life shuddering in response. Her aura swelled righteously, encompassing most of the grove, ensnaring all within it.

Hades saw the changing expressions on her face, and figured it out easily. She imagined her unwanted blind date had arrived early and was hoping for a little pre-date action. Quite typical of the musical god, actually. He wished he could assuage her concerns... but then again, knowing who was truly invading her privacy might have made things worse. Now he sensed the subtle movements of the earth and plants, and the air grew cooler as her emotion caused everything around her to react. And then her aura washed over him. He grimaced. Trapped.

Her voice brave but trembling, she said loudly, "All right, if you think you're scoring any points, you are sadly mistaken! Mother said daybreak, not a minute sooner! And if she finds out you're here now, she'll have your head!"

The dark god swallowed hard. She was ready to scream to the heavens, loud enough for all Olympus to hear it. And he was stuck here inside the automatic defensive aura. If he didn't announce himself -or maybe even if he did- he could be in real trouble. Heart thudding, he spoke gently but quickly. "Relax, babe, I'm not who you think. And I'm certainly not here to harm you. Wouldn't dream of it."

Persephone's head whipped in the direction of his voice, toward the willow tree, eyes wide with true fear. Then she realized the voice was not Apollo's, and she began to relax quite noticeably. This was followed by actual curiosity over the identity of her visitor, after which a sudden thought made her angry yet again. "Okay, so what? Did Mother send someone to spy on me, make sure that I don't try to run off before morning?"

The sheer irony of the thought was so astonishing, he found himself snorting aloud in laughter. "If she had sent anyone to spy on you, it sure wouldn't have been me," he said with a smile in his voice. "Nah, I was just here to look for something but then - _oy vey_ - you showed up before I could scram, and so I kinda just hung around - but who could blame me, the scenery is amazing - _ahem_, hey, sorry 'bout that, y'know." The apologetic grinning shrug was almost audible.

Still defensive, but made curious by his comments, she crossed her arms and spoke toward the tree. "So, then who are you? Come out and talk to me."

He sighed. It was something he'd wanted to do for years, and now with the opportunity at hand it had become a crisis. "All right," he said slowly, "but only if you promise not to clobber me, okay?"

Smiling a little now, she toned down her aura to normal and replied, "You're safe. _This_ time."

He stood and dusted off his clothes, muttering quietly to himself, his thoughts muddled and overheated. "Okay, Hades, no need to be nervous. After all, this is _only_ the most beautiful incredible goddess who ever existed, and you don't stand a _chance_..." He would have laughed at himself then, if the pang of anticipated rejection hadn't been so deep. He instructed his brain firmly, "Be cool, man, be cool." Then he spread apart the willow branches and stepped out.

However he was still completely invisible, and Persephone saw only the movement of leaves, with nothing there to make them move. This startled her further, but she reined it in. The branches fell back into place and she saw a few indentations in the grass, what must have been footprints, coming toward her. They stopped, fortunately, at a polite distance. She arched her brows at the unseen deity before her. At least she was pretty sure he was there... "So, are you just gonna stay invisible? I've had enough conversations with myself to know how boring that is. If we're gonna talk, I'd really like to have another face to talk to."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I can empathize with that..." The sound of rustling cloth as arms were raised, then stopped. "Uh, hey, listen, if you don't want me here I'll go away, okay? Just don't freak out and scream or pound my head in with a rock or anything... please?"

"Uh... okay," she said, even more curious now. _Who _was_ this guy?_

Then there was a shimmer of something becoming visible, starting near the ground. _Smoke?_ Smoky tendrils, trailing from beneath a long black himation. More was revealed by degrees... up the length of a tall and powerful body... a pair of wide shoulders, with a skull-shaped peroné pinned on the right... smooth muscular arms, one lowered at his side, the hand holding, strangely, a narcissus... the other arm cradling a black and silver skull-like helmet just removed from the head of... _of..._

She knew who he was. Who else could it have been? She'd never met him before, had seen him only once in passing, over eighteen years ago, and then only at a distance, never face-to-face. _What a crying shame_, came the unbidden thought. Now she drank in the sight of the god she'd never been allowed to meet.

Okay, he wasn't conventionally handsome, but was... rugged, perhaps. Old and immensely powerful and regal in bearing. His blue-fire hair crackled softly in the quiet, and his eyelids lay half-closed over large golden eyes that hinted at the secrets of the universe. His face was long, lean and angular, shadowed around the eyes, carved sharply around cheeks and nose, but his lips were full and soft in odd contrast. The teeth that flashed beyond those lips were a different story, all white fangs. Slender, long, expressive fingers moved gracefully, though a bit nervously, adjusting his hold on both helmet and flower. Dark energy surged just below the surface of every inch of his grey skin, a body of incredible strength concealed beneath the flowing blackness of his clothes. His entire being seemed poised on the brink of doing things no one else would be caught dead trying.

He was... _dangerous._

She knew that, had been told that many times. It was trouble just to be near him, worse to be all alone with him. She ought to run the other direction and summon her mother. Yet... she had never seen anything that stirred her so much. She'd felt something similar the one time she'd laid eyes upon him while visiting Olympus, and then she'd only seen him from the back. The flaming hair, the hulking expanse of his body as he stalked away from everyone else... She had been a mere child then, and confused about her feelings.

Now the sensation had returned, magnified tenfold. She wasn't even sure what precisely was getting stirred inside her, but it was intense and undeniable and somehow almost tangibly flowing through her veins, heating her skin. Her eyes wide, filled with a tingling sensation she couldn't quite put a name to, she breathed a single syllable.

_"Whoa..."_

Hades was surprised at her response, but even more surprised at how calm he was remaining. After all, this was HER. The girl he'd seen once, thirteen years, four months and eight days ago (not that he was counting... after all, he'd lost track of the actual minutes). It had been at that pathetic wedding party which unwittingly kicked off the Trojan War. He hadn't wanted to go, but good old Eris had twisted his arm, insisting that he didn't want to miss the fun. So he'd gone. And he'd seen THIS breath-taking vision of perfection. And had been deeply and instantly smitten, something he'd never experienced in his life, something which had thrown him so far off his stride he could only sit in mute stupefaction as she disappeared. Soon after, all hell began to break loose, but he had committed her looks to memory in those fleeting moments. Hours later, while certain major goddesses bickered and hapless mortals panicked, many of the gods hid out and got drunk. And while Hades normally would have loved to watch the catastrophic events unfolding, he had stuck around only to try prying information about this girl from his boozing brothers. They'd been most unhelpful, as usual, and he'd learned little more than her name and parentage, what a sweet little thing she was, and how Zeus thought of her as nothing more than a daughter (yeah, right).

In the intervening years, Hades had often thought about her and had attended more get-togethers than he cared to recall in hopes of seeing her again, but she'd never appeared and eventually he gave it up as pointless. Sometimes a passing urge to track her down and introduce himself had entered his mind. He'd always quashed it, as he had far more important things in the works, his plots and plans being the fore-runners for attention. Truthfully, he knew the reason he hesitated was from long painful experience. He knew how likely rejection was, since he'd been turned down by every goddess in the known world, usually before he'd even gotten around to asking. Coming from her, it would have crushed him beyond repair.

But now... here SHE stood before him, at long last. And she wasn't acting like all the other goddesses, horrified or hostile or disgusted. In fact, she seemed... fascinated. Even though his head sternly warned him not to have any faith in it, his heart and soul quivered like a happy puppy.

And she was so damned beautiful it burned his eyes to look at her. Blinking thick-lashed heaven-blue eyes up at him, her soft red lips were slightly parted and somehow expectant. Hair redder than the blooms of the bush he'd cremated, flowed down her back in a waving waterfall a man could happily snare his fingers in. The white chitonion she wore was clinging to her frame in a most esthetic manner, and was secured around a slender waist with a wide green zonen, tucked under an absolutely amazing bosom. Her gold aura lit up the grove, making her glowing skin look like honey, sweet and warm and thoroughly edible...

Oh, he was having some _extremely_ dangerous thoughts.

Strangely though, she didn't merely arouse him in the most basic way. He hadn't felt what he sensed fluttering within the dark cavern of his breast in years, not since the last time he'd laid eyes on her. Maybe not truly in centuries, not since... He pushed the old sad memories aside, clamped down on the fruitless feelings, shut the lid on hopefulness with a dull hollow clang.

Then they both suddenly became aware of how long they'd stood, staring at one another without speaking, and both were somewhat embarrassed and at a loss. Hades recalled the flower in his hand, and for no other reason that needing something to do, he offered it silently to her.

Persephone lowered her eyes to the gift and accepted it, her fingers lightly brushing his. She felt somewhat breathless. Holding the long stem of the narcissus with both hands, trying to keep them steady, she whispered, "Oh... um... thank you..."

Hades' pulse shuddered weakly. She had touched him, however briefly, and it had set off tiny fireworks along his nerves. Funny, he thought, giving her the flower almost made him feel like he was a suitor, coming to call on her. Funnier still, if it would have ever been approved of...

The long moment of silence threatened to fall over them again, as she once again lifted her luminous eyes to his, expectantly. He had to do something, set things in motion. Whatever that meant. So he _harrumphed_ softly into his fist and extended his hand in customary greeting. Well, his customary greeting anyway. "_Ahem._ Hades, Lord of the Dead, hi howya doin'?" Then he promptly gave himself a swift mental kick in the ass for being such a pathetic social retard.

Still gazing at him, but no longer in quite as much of a trance, Persephone took the proffered hand, clasping it lightly but firmly. Although it made her pulse leap anew, her voice was reasonably calm. "Uh, hi... Persephone, newly-appointed goddess of Spring, I'm just fine, thanks."

Hades was staring down at her hand. It might have been customary for him to offer, but it was way out-of-the-ordinary for someone to actually accept his handshake. At least willingly, without a nasty deal being made around the action. It startled him more than anything else that had happened today. _That, and the fact she was touching him again, solidly this time... _He mentally smacked himself again, for such a twittering adolescent thought. Releasing her hand, he recovered quickly without the delightful distraction of physical contact. "Uh, yes. Persephone... Demeter's daughter. I, uh, know."

Looking back down at the narcissus, she said, "I'm surprised you've even heard of me." There was a tinge of sarcasm in her voice, not directed at him but at her situation.

He caught the subtlety of it easily, and smiled a little. "Heard of, seen in passing, but not had the distinct privilege and pleasure of meeting. Why is it we've never managed to run into each other?"

She knew perfectly well why they hadn't. Demeter. Sighing deeply, shoulders rolling in weariness and annoyance, again not about him, she said, "Long story."

He smiled again, sensing she really wanted to tell him everything, and finding he really wanted to hear it all. Spending another few minutes basking in her beauty was a delightful bonus. "Hey, I've got eternity." His voice was smooth and caring and, amazingly, totally sincere. "Talk to me."

She regarded him with a mildly doubtful expression at first. But he honestly looked interested, not blank or bored or just plain stupid like some of the other gods had. Then again, he had never been like the other gods, otherwise they wouldn't shun him so. They all called him unrepentantly evil, incapable of kindness, and had avoided him as much as possible except when Council meetings had demanded it. But he hadn't said or done anything to frighten or harm her, and he'd had plenty opportunity in the last few minutes. He was even offering to listen to her mope, and looking as though he really meant what he said.

And, simple as the gesture was, he had greeted her with a flower in hand. A narcissus, which represented peace and harmony, and luck. But sometimes, also... love. Her heart jerked unsteadily at the thought. It was doubtful that he knew the symbolisms. She was surely putting too much emphasis on the token. Yet she still held the flower closer to her breast, for a moment. He didn't seem nearly as horrible as everyone always said. And since most of them were morons, in her opinion, perhaps she should decide for herself if he was truly evil. Besides... something deeper made her want to confide everything, share everything, _trust everything to him... _And the sensation rushing through her veins still teased her. She couldn't let him leave without figuring it out.

Turning away, she used her powers to cause a large root from a nearby tree to rumble beneath the ground, lift out of the soil, and re-form itself into a suitable sitting place for them both. It was only polite to offer him hospitality, since he was in her home. She sat on the makeshift bench, indicating he should join her. He did so, setting his helmet on the grass at his feet. Then he glanced at her, silently encouraging her to continue. She sighed once, then launched into it.

"Well... for starters, I've been cooped up here most of my life. Mother has only allowed me out about a dozen times..." Her shoulders drooped slightly, and she rolled her eyes expressively.

Hades wrinkled his brow, genuinely alarmed by what she said. She'd been on this island nearly her entire life? No wonder he'd never encountered her again. How many centuries had Demeter kept her hidden away and isolated? The idea was as appalling as his own situation. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to address the comparison at the moment.

She continued, "...Although I have had the honor of going to Olympus three whole times now. _Whee.._.," droning the last part, twirling her finger in the air.

This made him grin. "Olympus impressed you that much, did it?"

"Yeah," she grunted lightly, "and I could've lived just fine without today's trip, thank you very much." She seemed to grow thoughtful then. "Funny thing though, you were actually there the other two times."

"Really?" He wracked his brain, but couldn't recall anything. "When?"

"The first time was at the baby shower for Hercules," she recounted, "but Mother kept me on a very short leash the whole time." The annoyed huff she let out expressed itself succinctly. "She dragged me into a corner to admire the gifts, and I heard the other gods laughing out loud over something. When I went to see what was so funny, I saw you... walking away." She felt her heart thump with the memory, just as it had when she'd first seen him in the flesh. It thumped harder when she turned her eyes and saw his form next to her now. How could she tell him that, though? A little more unsteady, she continued. "I guess... the gods were laughing at you, though I sure didn't hear any jokes..."

"Oh, yeah, _that_," he false-laughed at the unpleasant recollection. Too bad he hadn't seen her then, it might have eased his heart. "Real good chuckle at old Hades' expense, as usual."

Nodding, she lowered her eyes as if apologising for their rudeness. "I never understood why... they were so mean to you."

He raised an eyebrow. Well, that was definitely a new one.

She went on. "The second time I went to Olympus was nearly a month and a half ago, and I wasn't even supposed to leave here. Mother had gone up for a meeting or something, but a friend told me that a terrible battle had begun. I couldn't just sit around and wonder, so I snuck out to see the action..." Rhodope had told her, and she had rushed off without thinking. The aftermath was terrifying, but she'd missed the worst parts. Now her face softened and she lowered her eyes again. "By the time I got there, you'd already been defeated and gone away..."

This statement hit him hard. His face fell, along with his heart. He'd been so sure she wasn't there, as he'd chained the gods and begun to march them down the steps of Olympus, intending to open the earth and imprison them in the Underworld. In fact, when he'd engraved the name-binding spells on each set of manacles, he'd rather conveniently forgotten to include hers among them. Now he knew she'd actually been present, however briefly, at the scene. She must hate him...

He sighed deeply. "Terrific," he stated flatly, though it sounded woefully morose to her ears. "Well, I guess you know all you need to know about evil old me. Great. I'll just be going then..." He started to rise and leave, but her soft voice stopped him.

"Umm... I'd rather reserve judgment on that until I actually get to know you for myself... If that's okay with you, and all."

This surprised him more than the handshake, much more. He turned to face her, brow furrowed, eyes filled with skeptical longing. "...You would?"

She smiled agreeably. She understood now, he was depressed. They were kindred spirits in that if nothing else. Perhaps if he knew he wasn't totally alone in the universe... "Hey, I know I get sick and tired of everyone judging me on sight. Don't you?"

He just stared at her then, and suddenly was filled with an almost overwhelming wish to become everything that could possibly please her, to convert his entire life into whatever would make her happy. To have her judge him, as the perfect man for her. His voice peculiarly soft, he responded to her query, "Yes, I do..."

Snapping free of the pathetically unrealistic reverie, he cleared his throat again, trying to return it to normal sound. "So, uh, I take it you're not gonna report to anyone that I'm out-and-about and at-large?" He waved a finger generally skyward, his meaning clear.

Apparently he didn't realize Zeus was no longer furious with him, that there would be no severe forthcoming punishment, except of course the permanent exclusion from all previous privileges. However there would likely be a stern public reprimand and demands for formal apology, once he got around to showing his face again. And she wouldn't wish that horror on her worst enemy. "Why should I tell anyone?" she shrugged, relieving him greatly. "I don't care what they think, any more than they seem to care what I feel... Though I would like to know why you came here to my grove. You said you were looking for something. What was it?"

Interesting that she felt the same way he did concerning the other Olympians. What had they done to her? If he counted only the near-hostage situation her mother kept her in, that was more than enough reason for irritation. However, her request for his reasons was only fair, seeing as how he'd unknowingly invaded her privacy. And, just because it was her, he found himself willing to explain. But first he sighed, "Long story."

"Hey, I've got eternity," was her reply. "Talk to me."

At first he wore the same expression of mild doubt she'd had earlier, then he grinned at the fact she'd repeated his own words. She had beauty and a humorous sense of irony. He liked that combination a lot. He raised both hands in a shrug and began his lament. "Well, the short of it is this... I need help. See, the Fates sent me here to search for the cure..." Moving to stand closer to the burnt pomegranate shrub, he looked a bit sheepish. "Oh, and, uh, sorry about the bush... I kinda lost control of myself..."

She just shook her head. "It's okay. It'll grow back in a few days."

Nodding, actually relieved he hadn't destroyed it, he went on. "Anyway, they sent me to look for some kind of dark flower. But I haven't found it yet."

She could only blink at his words. _The Fates said...?_ So it was fate to meet him, to have this sense of extraordinary recognition when she looked into his eyes, the indefinable feeling of attraction. She was supposed to know him, destined to have some kind of connection to him, and was strangely elated by the idea. Clutching at the narcissus, she said softly, "Well, you just found it... _Me."_

Hades turned slowly back toward her, heart thumping in odd expectation. "Could you... repeat that?"

Persephone continued, eyes wide, in a bit of a trance. "That's what the nymphs here call me. They're the only ones who do. Mother calls me _Kore_, her 'Daughter'... But to the nymphs I am _Melanthe_... 'the Dark Flower'..."

**- o - TWO - o -**

At that exact moment, high above Nysa, another form hovered. It, too, had the sole intention of tracking Hades. It, too, was perhaps a bit on the devious side. But it, unlike Hecate's hellhounds, had purely loving intentions.

It, of course, was Cupid.

He'd been tracking Hades on radar for about an hour. Originally he'd gone to seek a crevice in the earth leading to the Underworld, and had planned to just shoot the arrow down and run away. He figured, if nothing else, Hades needed a little loosening up before a way could be found to get Persephone close enough for the dark god to see her and fall hopelessly in love. But Cupid had been quite surprised to find the elder god not hiding out down below. In fact, he was pretty far from home.

Soaring on an updraft, the love god studied the red heart-shaped non-chocolate-containing box he held. He looked up from the radar to get his bearings, scanning the darkened nighttime horizon, then the island below. One eyebrow went up quizzically. He looked back at the radar, back up at the island. The corners of his mouth went north along with the other eyebrow, both eyes wide in delight.

"Holy crap, I don't believe it! He's already at her place!" he laughed aloud. "Talk about making my job easy. Man, I don't care what Mom says, the Fates definitely have plans for this match-up."

He'd already been totally convinced of that after spending the afternoon and evening watching Persephone on Olympus. She had a subtle way of pretending to be what everyone expected, but inside she had been seething. He'd seen it for what it was, though no one else had a clue. With her hidden attitude, her outward performance, her secret wishes to go and do her own thing... she reminded Cupid of someone else. And right now she was enmeshed in conversation with that very someone.

They were so perfect for each other, it almost scared him.

Still, he gave careful consideration to shooting Persephone as well, just in case she wasn't sure she was ready for a serious relationship. She had, after all, practically sprinted away from Apollo... but who hadn't? As Cupid landed on a cloud and put away the radar, he pulled out a second smaller device. Holding it up to eye-level, he checked the readings and grinned craftily. Nope, this mission would call for only one arrow after all.

Hugely satisfied, he reached for his bow and the super-arrow. Knowing he couldn't get anywhere within visual range, he needed to add two items to the arrow. One was an invisibility potion. All his arrows dissolved upon contact, but this one couldn't even afford to be seen approaching. In addition was a tracking device, which he tinkered with briefly, setting it to home in on Hades' specific godly essence. Then he notched the _SmartArrow _(soon-to-be-another-™), touched it with a drop of the potion, and let it fly.

"There ya go, big guy," he chuckled. "A booster shot to the heart."

**- o - THREE - o - **

"...You're kidding." Hades responded to Persephone's statement with a voice that was soft and stunned and seemed emotionless. Underneath it, his brain churned. Fated... It was all planned... But for once he agreed with the plan whole-heartedly.

"No, it's true," she shook her head, getting a better grip on herself. "But I'm not really sure what sort of help I can be to you. Maybe if you tell me what's wrong...?"

As she spoke, he slowly turned his head aside. This was becoming more than he knew how to deal with. He kept having thoughts and feelings that he couldn't control, and he was afraid that he'd wind up hurting someone if he lingered much longer. Not sure which of them it would be, it scared him even more. The Fates had sent him here, on a mission to find what he needed to heal himself... but surely they hadn't meant _it was her?_ And though she seemed willing to offer help, he had no idea what to say to her, what to do, what to feel...

Then the arrow hit him, right between the shoulder blades.

_It passed into his body like a breeze, though his heart felt the sting and reacted with a thud… he gasped a little, as something inside him softened... loosened its death grip on his soul... the cold, ancient iron chains around his heart began to weaken... his subconscious fumbled desperately in the darkness for the key to the corroded lock..._

Not consciously aware of the hit, his eyes glazed over in confusion, blinked in surprise, and gradually lightened with something akin to hope. His thoughts moved slowly, but on a set path now. The Fates had decreed this meeting... and even gods couldn't deny what was fated. Perhaps he did need to be here. Perhaps he had needed to meet her all along. Perhaps she might be capable of far more than either of them was aware.

He recovered somewhat and spoke, still half-turned away. "Really, Persephone, there's more wrong than I can even begin to describe. It's not just me, it's the whole Underworld..."

"Maybe if I was able to go there, see for myself...," she began, then sighed.

He caught the sigh, and turned to her with a little smile now. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not expecting miracles. Even if you couldn't fix a single thing, I'd more than gladly give you the grand tour."

"And I'd love to go, honestly," she sighed again, crossing her arms with an aggravated frown, "but Mother would have a conniption." Actually, Demeter would have flat-out forbidden her to go anywhere near this particular god, let alone speak to him. But that was a moot point now. "She's expecting me to be here first thing in the morning, though I'm sure not looking forward to it. And last time I disobeyed her, I thought I'd be grounded forever..." The sigh was deeper now, and a small crease appeared on her forehead.

Hades saw it all clearly now. She had spent who-knew-how-long, centuries perhaps, being Mama's Girl. So long that she was accustomed to it, had never questioned it. Until lately. And now discontent was breeding rebellion in her heart. Sure, the Mama-in-question was likely a fearsome one to run afoul of, but he'd faced worse. He knew as surely as if she'd spoken it, Persephone really wanted to disobey, to run away into the night with a near-stranger, rather than wait like a proper little lady at Mama's beck-and-call. And damn, he would love to see Demeter's face after finding out her perfect little girl had run off with the baddest boy there was.

The darker part of his brain toyed briefly with the idea of just snatching her into his arms and taking her to the Underworld without another word, never letting her go. The mental image of holding her helplessly close to his body, feeling her pounding heart against his skin, both of them knowing that he possessed her utterly, was so very tempting. And arousing. But very wrong. No matter what else he had done in his life, he would never be able to live with himself after such an act.

And this goddess was too special, in ways that he didn't yet comprehend, to hurt in any way. Whatever was destined to happen between them, be it merely friendly or more than friendly, it needed, _really needed_ to be completely mutual. She was clearly longing to forge her own path, but still unsure how to start. And here he stood, a perfect catalyst for pushing her over the edge.

So he taunted her.

"Hmm... funny thing," he said, oh-so casually that it got her immediate undivided attention, "I could have sworn I heard someone out here earlier, going on about how much they wanted to break free, to live at last." Arms behind his back, he looked upward, innocently. "Must have been someone else..."

She smirked at him, seeing the ploy for what it was. Secretly glad he'd been clever enough to goad her. She really did want to go, more than she could ever explain. But she decided to play his game for a while first. "Wiseguy," she laughed. "Trying to twist my arm?"

"Twist it? Not me, babe. Wouldn't lay a finger on you... unless you ask me to," he grinned, eyes growing lazy with playfully mild lechery.

She found herself smiling at the thought, then almost blushed and dropped her eyes. He was teasing her, she could tell. But it was so different from Apollo's attentions. The other god smooth-talked and flattered with the clear expectation of getting further as soon as possible. Hades, on the other hand, seemed to wait for her lead in the game. He was, surprisingly, a gentleman in this game of flirtation. Twisting the stem of the narcissus between her nervous fingers, she swallowed. Flirting? She was actually flirting with death. The thought made her shiver, but not with dread.

She made her decision, to take full advantage of her situation. "Well...," she said slowly. "Mother is going to be away, definitely for at least three days. She is very committed to human festivals during the change of seasons, you know..." Persephone bit her lip in thought. "I suppose... I could visit for a while. I guess it would take some time to see everything in the Underworld. But as long as I'm back in three days, she'll never even know I'm gone."

Hades was staring at her in utter shock. He'd only been thinking of an evening, time enough to chat and get to know each other better. She was talking about an extended weekend together. Hot damn. "Three days?" he gulped, then grinned. "I think we can manage that. Absolutely, definitely, _no problemo_."

Not noticing his nervousness, she smiled up at him. This was going to be an interesting experience, no matter what happened. Fates or not, it felt vitally important to try and help this god in some small way. And she still hadn't figured out this peculiar feeling, which had become like swirling water under the lake of her own flesh. Maybe a few days together with him would help her sort that out. But first things first... She turned to the stream, where Rhodope had been lounging all this time.

The little oceanid didn't mind having been ignored. She could see what was happening, even if the two gods in front of her were pathetically clueless. The intense attraction between these two was crackling as hot as Hades' hair. It made her grin broadly, to know even the Almighty gods were complete idiots when it came to affairs of the heart.

Others might have warned Persephone away from this course of action, might have even thrown themselves in the gods' paths to prevent it from happening at all. But Rhodope knew something most people didn't. She'd learned, through family ties, of something in Hades' past, something that proved he was very capable of kindness and even deep love. And since it was beyond obvious that these two deities were meant for each other, she wasn't going to get in the way. Besides, since Persephone was clearly standing Apollo up for their date tomorrow, she'd gladly take the goddess' place. She giggled at the thought.

Persephone spoke to her then. "Rhodope, don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

The nymph gave the thumbs-up, then shushed herself with a fingertip, pretending to lock her lips and toss the key.

Satisfied, Persephone turned back to Hades. And shyly tucked her hand

over his arm, much to his delighted and suddenly even more nervous surprise. "Shall we go?" she inquired.

"Fair lady," he replied, stopping only to retrieve his helmet, "my chariot awaits."

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Out beyond the shore of Nysa, the hellhounds roused from their languor as they heard the sound of wings beating the air. Quickly crouching lower behind the rocks, Mayhem hissed, "Look! There he is!"

Sure enough, it was the black chariot pulled by the griffin, with Hades standing at the reins and... _and..._

"And he's not alone," Havoc said.

The hellhounds looked at each other with a sigh. "Hecate's not gonna like this," they said as one.

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	6. Potholes in the Road to Hell

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades tragic childhood is revealed, Persephone performs some serious dead-guy smackdown, and Pain and Panic form lasting impressions of the hot chick the Boss brought home._

* * *

**CHAPTER 6 : POTHOLES IN THE ROAD TO HELL  
**Ψηφος Τετρυπημενη

**- o - ONE - o -**

The chariot had been designed as a one-person vehicle, so it was pretty close quarters. Hades put Persephone up front while he stood behind her, arms around but not holding her as he guided the griffin in flight. She wasn't touching him, but the wind caught her hair and it brushed over his bare arms in a tantalising way. The air rushed by so strongly that she could barely keep a grip on the narcissus, so she had absently tucked it into the front of her chitonion. He swallowed hard, trying not to notice, but the scent of the blossoms wafting upward from her lovely cleavage was painfully distracting. Damned good thing the griffin knew his own way back home.

Persephone was fascinated by everything, and gazed up at the brilliant stars, down into the deep darkness of the water, and curiously at the griffin. She smiled over her shoulder at Hades. "This is nice. I've never been in a chariot before... Of course, there are a lot of things I've never done."

He arched his brows. "Demeter really puts the 'mother' in 'smother', doesn't she?"

"No kidding," she said dryly. She looked at him with a softer expression. "You know, you're the first person besides Rhodope who's ever really listened to me." That simple fact endeared him to her in a powerful way. Hesitantly, she put her fingertips lightly on his wrist. "Thanks"

Her touch made his heart do crazy gymnastics, and he nearly dropped the reins. For a second he wondered if they would just crash into the sea, but the griffin took no notice of the slight jerk on his leads. Hades' head reeled in confusion. It had been centuries since anyone had actually wanted to be in his presence. And she was so open to him, so trusting. He could tell how surprisingly naive she was, and for some reason he felt himself grow protective toward her, rather than see her as an easy mark. Something in him had always been very attracted to innocence... He stared down at her, almost unblinking, definitely not breathing. "Anytime," was all he could manage to say.

Persephone couldn't meet his eyes for very long, they were too intense. Like staring into a candle's flame... hypnotic. Shy again, unsure of her feelings, she withdrew her hand and employed it in hanging onto the rail of the chariot.

Moments later, a landmass loomed before them in the darkness. The western coast of the Grecian mainland. The griffin swerved toward a cave opening into the cliff side, and what light there had been was utterly obliterated. Persephone gasped and pushed herself backward, instinctively afraid of such total blackness. Her back pressing against the solid mass of his body, she felt comforted somehow.

"Don't worry," his voice was near her ear now, soft and low. "Your eyes will adjust in a minute. It's not really pitch black."

She breathed again, shuddering slightly. She wasn't sure if it was in relief... or because he was so very close, his warm breath on her ear making her tingle. She didn't have time to think about it, because she became aware she could see again. They were flying now over a twisting purplish river, and she realized there was some kind of phosphorescence pervasive to the place. She'd seen nothing but sunlight and moonlight and starlight her whole life, the light of the natural world. This was a different sort of light, but it was light nonetheless.

After several minutes of following the river, the griffin slowed to land on the shore. Hades gave her his hand to dismount from the chariot. He snapped his fingers to unbridle and feed the creature, then led her to the edge of the river bank. Cupping his hand to his mouth, he shouted, "Yo, Charon!"

Appearing almost instantly through the mist hanging over the water, came a long black dragon-shaped boat. Rowing with a long pole was something the likes of which Persephone had never seen. It looked more or less human, though underneath a ragged chlamys its grayish skin clung to its bones like it had been dead for a hundred years. Its hollow eye sockets seemed to gawk at her with stunned curiosity but, politely and wisely, it refrained from commenting on her presence.

Eyes wide, she allowed Hades to help her into the boat, then sat beside him on a bench in the rear. While he tried to ignore the fact that their thighs were lightly touching, she merely sat and gazed in amazement at the demon oarsman. The boat proceeded up the river, and for a few moments there was no sound but the soft splash of water. Soon they reached a gateway shaped like bony fingers, arching over the beginning of a tributary river. The gate raised at their approach. Just beyond this was a giant black dog who lifted his three heads to growl at them. Charon paused rowing long enough to toss three dog biscuits at them, which they greedily snapped up, wagging their single tail happily.

Persephone was speechless with wonder. She stared enraptured at everything they passed on the way. At intervals, there were tall twisting braziers of blue flame that sent a shimmering reflection across the almost-black water of this second river. In the river, she detected whisper-thin human shapes floating along, seemingly insensible and unaware. Above, the ceiling was so high it couldn't really be seen, but she heard the fluttering of huge wings, belonging to invisible somethings up in the darkness. The walls around were blackened by eons of dripping water, forming massive stalactites. These were mostly sharp as razors, though some had been carved more specifically into bone-shaped pillars. Seeming terribly odd in contrast, she spotted what seemed to be a tall white dead tree, almost hidden in a recess of the wall, its purpose unclear.

Hades smiled at her open curiosity. "So... ready for that tour now?"

Shaking her head, she said, "It's so much more mysterious than I dreamed. There must be a million things to learn... I can't imagine seeing everything there is to see, in a mere three days time."

"We'll just hit the highlights for now," he chuckled. "Not that there are any. This place stinks. Figuratively and sometimes literally, if you'll pardon the occasional sulfur smell..." His face lapsed again into its standard brooding frown.

She turned her eyes up to him, a look of sympathetic confusion on her face. "It's not that bad, you know. Sulfur is a natural element of the earth..." His response was a mere shake of his head and a sigh. Obviously anything about his home depressed him. "Well, I guess I don't know enough about the Underworld to reach any conclusions... Or about you either, really. All I know is what other people have told me, and I get the feeling that's all been pretty biased. I'd like... to hear _your side_ of things."

Hades laughed shortly. "Now that's a first." Seeing her sincere smile, he realized she was giving him the opportunity to finally show at least one person the real him... who he used to be, so long ago... who he wished he could be. He was actually a little frightened by the changes he was undergoing. But she, herself, was trying to be seen for the reality inside, and had expressed willingness to let him demonstrate the same. He felt again the desire to be everything she wanted, needed... Yet he couldn't say that to her. All he said was, "My side of things... I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"How about from the beginning?" she said with a small chuckle of her own. "You listened to me, I'm happy to listen back."

"That could take awhile," he said thoughtfully. "But if you really want to hear it..."

Her sweet encouraging smile touched him. She really meant it. And so he sighed, and let his mind drift back into the mists of time... Recollections washed over him, along with the horror. It had been gruesome at times, but he no longer felt the intensity of anger after so many millennia. Thankfully, it was more memory than feelings now. He quietly began to recount the tale for her.

"I guess I should start with my parents, Kronos and Rhea. They were the last generation of Titans to rule Olympus. My father was -how to put this mildly- _a raving wacko_." His mind conjured up an image of the giant Kronos, towering over everything, dark and savage, lightning bolts flashing as his anger pelted down upon his family. "Mother lived in fear of him, and was as much a victim as we were. His powers were massive, and she had little power of her own at that time. She did what she could to protect us, but in the end, it was useless."

Irony at the next thought made him snort with derision. "The Fates... what the hell have they got against my family? They made a prediction to Kronos: _'One day your children will take away your powers'_. And hey, he took the news surprisingly well, for him. After all, we were only kids, me the oldest at five. His method of dealing with matters was to grab Poseidon and me..." The memory of the iron fist, being lifted high in the air, sliding down, down into the dark gaping maw, still gave Hades an involuntary shudder. But he spoke easily, almost casually. "...And then swallow us whole."

Persephone had been watching his face and body language, noticing how tense he really was although his voice sounded relaxed, as if he was merely remarking on the weather. With the final statement, she gasped in shock and alarm. It was... beyond horrible. She realized she knew nothing of bad family situations, that nothing her mother could ever do or say would equal what Hades had experienced. Her heart broke for the child he had been, as well as his brother. With the abuse and terror he'd endured, it would have been a miracle for Hades not to turn out the way he had.

He continued the story with just a soupçon of bitterness now. "Before he could swallow Zeus however, Mother managed to hide him. Then she wrapped up a rock in Zeus' clothes and Kronos, in his insanity, was fooled and ate it. Zeus was sent away safely, but he eventually came back and defeated Kronos, then took away most of his powers. He released the two of us, but we were forever... _altered_ by the experience." Memories swam to the surface. The grotesque sensation of slithering free of the darkness, the sight of his mother's tearful face at the monstrous results of his ordeal. Seeing his own dreadful reflection later...

"Zeus was already nearly grown by then, and we discovered we had spent nine years inside our father. Nine years. I sure missed out on a lot of things." He had been fourteen when his father disgorged him, awkward, damaged, and out-of-touch. His body so changed in so many ways, not the least of which was sudden puberty and totally unmanageable hair. And dark new abilities that frightened everyone, especially him... Shaking his head at the memories, he looked upward to the black ceiling of the Underworld. "Kronos was banished, sent out to the stars. He's still up there, I guess... though he sure as hell isn't getting any Father's Day cards."

Now he spoke with unconcealed bitterness. "However, my suffering didn't end there. When we were all old enough, there was a decision to be made: who would get what portion of Kronos' powers. Because of the way our father misused it, Zeus argued that none of us should have that much power ever again, that it would drive anyone mad, and he was willing to give away some of it to us. But he was holding almost all the cards, so he could afford to make the decision to pass some of the wealth along to his less-fortunate, _older_ siblings. Being the eldest son no longer mattered, he said, what mattered was the area being ruled, and it would be best if we drew lots to see who got Olympus. _It would be fairer_, he said, _there would be no favoritism_, he said." Hades sneered. "Big fat load of guano, if you ask me, but we agreed. We drew lots." Here he grunted with irritable mockery. "I got the pebble with the hole and, _ba-da-boom_, the rest is history."

He grumbled dolefully, glaring around at the kingdom he'd always felt had been inherited by default. "I never wanted this. Zeus never suffered what we did... and he got the luck of the draw." His voice grew quietly angry. "It's been no great secret how much I hate him for that. Damn it, I really should have insisted on best two-out-of-three."

Snorting with derision, he added, "And as if that wasn't bad enough, get this. When we first divvied things up, it was before mankind was created. Zeus got married, had a bunch of kids, and they all got it in their heads they were so great and glorious they needed worshippers. After all, what's a god without someone to bow down to you, prove how utterly fabu you are, right? So they whipped together these prototype humans, set them out on the earth like mindless sheep and told them what they could and couldn't do with their lives. All fine and good. Except no one consulted me. Now I get to deal with _each and every single stinking one of them_ after they're dead. And what do I get out of it all? Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not one lousy mortal worships me. They hate and fear me, won't even breath my name aloud, live and die in dread of me. But not a single temple dedicated to _moi_. Thanks a heap, baby brother..."

Frowning in sympathy, Persephone said, "That's hardly fair."

"Hey, what's sauce for the Zeus, is not sauce for me."

She bit her lip in thought. Poor Hades... He was stuck in a situation he didn't want, had been forever. The other gods had worshippers who appreciated their powers, showed respect, sent offerings, held ceremonies, and so on. And he was clearly a powerful being, much stronger than many other gods, some of whom were barely worthy of all the accolades they received. Yet they all had statues and temples, people who bowed down to them without hesitation. And Hades had nothing but a dark and dour kingdom filled with the dead and demons. She felt sorry for him, and deeply wished she could have offered some solution. His entire situation seemed so different, so miserable, than she didn't blame him for wanting Olympus for himself, if only for a change of scenery. And yet, the Underworld seemed right for him... like he was made for it...

The idea suddenly sparked in her mind, connecting with something he had said. But before she could express it, the boat rounded the final curve in the river, and her eyes grew wide at what was by far the most amazing view yet. A huge dark palace, skull-shaped and menacing, yet somehow with an expression of ancient melancholy, window-eyes glowering sadly. Parapets and pillars sat atop and beside its great domed head, and scattered along the caverns set high in the walls. It was a city underground, but empty and lifeless. A true necropolis.

Charon drew the boat up to the dock below the palace. Hades stepped out of the boat and, turning to Persephone, offered her a gallant hand-up. She took his hand, face thoughtful. "I wonder," she said, stepping carefully onto the dock, "you say being swallowed by Kronos changed you?"

"Yeah, I didn't start out looking like this," he indicated his lugubrious appearance with a downward glance.

That made her wonder how he'd looked as a child, perhaps more like Zeus. The fact that Hades and Poseidon were so unusual, as compared to every other god, made her more certain of her idea. She continued, "Well, could it be that... maybe you weren't just changed in the way you looked. Maybe the power to control the Underworld was _absorbed directly from your father_. Please don't think I'm taking sides here, but... maybe Zeus was just trying to make it seem fairer, like you were being given a choice after all, even though there already was none. Maybe it was unnecessary to draw lots, because... well, maybe you were fated to be here."

His eyes grew wide then, as he felt his head throb in protest at the thought. He recalled too clearly the experience of being in his father's stomach... _the burning, darkness and decay that wrapped itself around him, infiltrated his skin and his very soul._.. He recalled now, his middle brother's description of the experience as cool and watery, surging with tidal power... When they emerged from within Kronos, Poseidon had the look of a sea creature, and Hades, a demon. Their mother had prepared the lots, each one different to represent the kingdoms. They had all reached into the bag simultaneously to draw. And he remembered sharply, how the one he touched felt like fire, how he'd drawn it without hesitation. It was black and pierced through with a hole. The unlucky, condemning stone. So he had thought. But now he realized, each stone was meant for the one who had drawn it. Poseidon's had been cold and translucent water-blue. Zeus' had been a sparkling purple with gold stars. _It had been fated..._

Why in hell had this never occurred to him? Because, it was such an incredibly-fucking-obvious truth. And if he'd managed to figure it out sooner, then he wouldn't have listened to the Fates at all, and they wouldn't have been able to use him for their further plans. They had somehow prevented his knowledge, until now. He placed his fingers against his temples, massaging firmly. "I take it all back. It's the Fates I really hate. Compared to them, I could kiss Zeus right on the mouth and still keep my lunch down..."

"I'm sorry," Persephone said with a sympathetic, small shrug. "But I guess I still don't quite understand... I know you dislike this place, but you are its King, after all. This is supposed to be one of the three great kingdoms of the Grecian world, right? So that makes you one of the top three gods. I know people don't exactly love you, because they fear death. But still... how bad could it really be?"

He gave half a laugh, and a full sigh. "At the moment, babe, it's only pure hell. See, there are about a billion souls down here right now, by my latest estimate. There are basically only four places souls stay in the Afterlife. And the biggest and most populated one is about to become unavailable." He waved a hand toward the gateway and the purple river they'd first arrived on. "Out there, the _River Styx_. The nymph-goddess who is the river has already started removing souls, so she can return to her original purpose. The place where gods swear their undying oaths."

Leading her, they followed the walkway bordering the palace's foundation, beside and then behind the palace, along the tributary river of Styx. Multitudes of ghosts drifted there, too. "As you can see, souls also stay here in _Acheron_, the River of Sorrow, and in _Pyriphlegethon,_ the Vortex of Fire. Neither one is a nice place to visit, let alone stay. But there is one happy place under earth," he continued, approaching a final curve in the pathway, "the _Elysian Fields_."

And as a flourish to his statement, they stepped around the curve and beheld... a paradise. Hidden from view, unless one went past the palace, was a bright island of beauty hovering above the waters of Acheron, so vast it seemed to melt away into infinity. It stood a separate entity to everything around it, and indeed it was. Surrounded by a golden-white force-field, similar to the one around Nysa, It was completely cut off from the rest of the Underworld.

Persephone stood awestruck, until Hades began walking across a narrow stone bridge toward the island. She followed him, saying, "Wow... why is it so different from everything else here?"

"I have no idea," Hades replied, stopping short of the entrance, arms crossed and frowning. "Best guess, Kronos created it before he lost his powers. I have no idea why, since it's... well, beautiful and peaceful and desirable, and therefore totally opposite to everything he stood for. I sometimes wonder if he put it here to taunt me, because," he laughed without humor, "one little problem... I can't go inside."

"What?" Persephone turned to look at him, surprised. "But... isn't this part of your kingdom?"

"Yeah, it's a domain of the dead all right. But it's strictly off-limits to the likes of me." He approached the translucent shield of light and rapped his knuckles against it. It stood a solid wall beneath his hand, impenetrable. "See? I've tried everything I know, and so far nothing and no one gets in. Oh, except for dead heroes."

"Heroes?" she raised an eyebrow. "Why just heroes?"

Shrugging, he said, "Way I figure it, they think they have the right, y'know? They're so full of themselves in life, that kinda high-minded machismo has gotta carry over into death." He rolled his eyes back. "They ride the boat through the gates, set eyes on the place, say 'Hey, dude, it's party time and I deserve it', and just waltz on in. Some of these guys are a real piece of work, lemme tellya..." Hades huffed and shook his head. "And Zeus, man, he just loves it. He calls the Elysian Fields the _'blissful refuge of heroes'_," this he said with mocking verbal quotations. "That's all you'll see in there. Big brave hero-types, muscle-bound jocks one and all. All brawn, no brain. Zeus is thrilled, no doubt, that his precious _Jerkules_ won't have to suffer once he finally kicks the bucket. Yeah, the brat'll fit right in..." Arm propped against the force-field, he slumped his shoulders and sighed with centuries of exasperation.

Shaking her head as well, Persephone came to join him. "It's just so odd..."

She would have said more. But as she placed her hand against the shield, leaning her weight forward, she slipped right through. Yelping in surprise, she fell nearly full-length onto the grass of the bright meadow beyond the force-field. Catching her breath, she got to her knees and pushed her hair back, then turned to look at a gaping Hades. "Heh... whoops," she said sheepishly.

He closed his mouth, then shook his head again. "I don't believe this... I guess you really are determined to get the full grand tour."

"I didn't mean to, you know," she said, standing again and straightening her chitonion. "If I knew how I did it, I'd figure out how to get you in here too."

Smiling, he assured her, "Hey, I'm not mad, just... bewildered. Well, go on, look around. Have fun without me." Lifting his hands, he waved her on.

With a shrug, she turned and gazed around. There were groves of trees, both fruit and forest. Flowers bloomed, sending a weak fragrance into the air, which seemed to be filled with the memory of bird-song. "It's beautiful in here... but strange," she stated. "It's like an illusion, or something magical. Nothing seems completely real. The plants are almost transparent, like they're ghosts too."

She looked down where she stood, where she'd fallen on her hands and knees. The narcissus she'd tucked into her bosom had slipped out, and she stooped to pick it up. Then she saw that the grass was greener, more real. Brushing it with her fingertips, she found that it was alive. But how could this be possible? What could it mean?

Unnoticed by either of them, the soul of a dead hero had come upon the scene. He didn't spend much time listening to the exchange between them, instead deciding for himself what the girl's presence meant. She was gorgeous beyond compare... and stacked like a marble column, to boot. Perfect in every way. Okay, she was taller than he'd expected, almost up to his own seven-plus-foot height. He'd been a near-giant in life, which had made him the strongest and most powerful man around. Therefore, nothing balked him, ever. If it hadn't been for those tag-teaming dragon twins, he'd still be wreaking terror... er, righting wrongs, on earth.

Thrilled that he'd made it to the Elysian Fields after death, he had quickly learned Hades had no control over this location of the Underworld. In life he'd worshipped Zeus, who favored heroes like himself, and had been daily sending up requests (all unheard, but he wouldn't know that) for female companionship to make his eternal bliss even more blissful. At last, his prayers had been answered.

"Well, well, well...," he said slyly, sidling up to her, "look what we have here..."

Persephone was disarmed by the voice, and stood again rapidly. Then she realized what the man was and should have been unconcerned, but something about him made her cautious. Maybe it was his inordinate size...

He continued approaching, and was eyeing her with profane interest. "Ah, yes... Zeus have been most kind to grant my desires... so beautifully," he drawled.

"What do you mean?" she asked, strangely uneasy.

"Now, now... don't play shy, my dear." And then the dead hero trailed one calloused fingertip up her bare arm.

Persephone recoiled, shocked both at the audacity... and the fact he felt completely solid.

From outside, Hades had seen the approach and knew exactly what the big idiot was thinking, but had imagined Persephone would simply handle him or walk away. Instead she was looking like a trapped deer facing a ruthless hunter. He realized belatedly she really was, impossibly, just what she seemed to be. A wide-eyed innocent, in every conceivable way.

_And then the goddamned stiff actually dared to touch her!_

"Hey! HEY!" Hades shouted, flaring red.

The dead hero was still approaching with a nasty leer in his eye, saying, "Yes, indeed. I shall have to thank Zeus properly for this... generous gift."

"G-gift?" she mumbled. Clutching the narcissus to her heart like a talisman, she cringed away.

The dead hero was aware of the girl's confusion. As so many times in his life, he took full advantage. And he grasped her wrist then, with surprising force, and began to haul her closer.

Persephone was alarmed at how strong a grip this human -a dead one at that- actually had. Compared to his muscle and bulk, she felt woefully frail. She pulled against his hand, but he didn't ease up. Never had she been touched in such a bold manner by anyone, and really wasn't sure what to do.

By now Hades was fully aflame, furious beyond even his own reckoning. He hurled huge fireballs at the shield, but they bounced away harmlessly. He felt frustratingly helpless, and wished he could kill the bastard all over again, preferably using a red-hot pitchfork and any of a selected number of the intended's body cavities. He bounded toward the force-field and battered it with his fists, bellowing with rage. _"RAAARR! Get your fucking hands off her, you dead human piece of shit!"_

Safe inside, the dead hero saw this and laughed smugly. "Haha! Why even Hades himself is jealous of me!"

This made Hades absolutely livid. "_I am NOT_!" he snarled. Well, actually he was, but that was hardly important. At the moment, he was far more concerned with Persephone's well-being. If the dead man could not only touch her, and apparently was strong enough to keep a grip on her... what else might he be capable of doing? The unwelcome harpy of an idea flittering at the edge of his mind refused to settle, but he acknowledged it anyway and leapt for the force-field again, clawing and howling with incoherent fury.

The dead hero continued to taunt him, pulling a still-struggling Persephone against his body. "Try all you like, Lord of the Dead. But I am the lucky one," he said lecherously, "who possesses this lovely plaything."

And suddenly Persephone's eyes grew cold, her body stiffening. "._..Plaything..._?" The word came out tightly, as if her lips had become a vice. He was handling her like she was a empty shell, a toy, a bauble, something to be used and discarded, like she had no thoughts of feelings of her own. Her subconscious mind realized he was just another person incapable of seeing her for who she really was, what she felt and needed... _just like her mother, just like Apollo..._ But Persephone wasn't aware of that. She was only concerned with the fact that he called her a 'plaything'. She began to glow, her aura flaming up like sunfire.

Pausing in his spleen-venting, Hades felt a wide frozen stare creep over his face. "Uh-oh," he said softly. That was one dumb dead guy.

Persephone felt an anger she hadn't realized she possessed. Her skin glowed, her eyes flashed, her hair floated in the air as her powers began to manifest in ways she'd never felt before.

The dead hero wisely released her in alarm, and began to back away.

Dropping the narcissus, she breathed slowly but heavily as the power built. Then, reaching up to the peroné pinned at her left shoulder, she seemed to pluck out something there and grip it in her radiant fist. "I'm not your damned plaything," she hissed, then all but roared,

**"I... AM... A... GODDESS!"**

And she flung her hand forward, tossing what she held at his feet.

Before the dead hero could take two steps, vines burst from the ground and crawled rapidly over his body, like green leafy snakes. Whipping, spiralling around, they bound him tight, until he was unable to move.

"My mistake," the hero's muffled voice squeaked out in apology from between the leaves.

"Damn right," Persephone growled to herself and stalked out of the gateway, glaring over her shoulder.

Hades stared in shock and awe, beyond her, at the scene she'd created.

She muttered, "What a jerk!_ 'Big brave hero-type', my a-!"_

He mumbled, "_How in the hell did you do tha-?_"

And because they weren't paying attention, she smacked straight into him.

Surprise covered their faces. For a moment, they stood staring at one another, caught by some web they didn't seem inclined to break free from. A silence hummed, softly enclosing them together, shutting them momentarily away from the rest of the universe at they looked into each other's eyes.

Still trembling with emotion, she splayed her hands over Hades' chest. She hadn't realized how frightened she'd been and now, being close to him again, she felt safe. Some part of her brain noticed that, through his chiton, his chest was broad and firm, and warm. She'd been told the God of Death was harsh and cold. But his warmth made her want to hold him closer...

He held Persephone's arms, intending to support her, as she was shaking from the confrontation. Again the protective feeling came over him, and he had the urge to pull her close and soothe her. The corner of his mind noticed just how flower-petal soft her skin was. His thumbs involuntarily flickered against the flesh, wishing he could feel more of it...

Composure returned, and with it a sense of maidenly decorum. Persephone backed away a half-step, blushing a darker gold. She shouldn't have been having such heated thoughts. Hades, too, seemed a bit more intense, and was still gazing at her in a curiously unsettling way. The thoughts tried to creep back. She cleared her throat, and said, "Um, thank you for trying to help me out back there..."

"Well, clearly you can take care of yourself," he said. He knew even the brightest goddesses had a darker side, and he'd just witnessed hers. It had been surprising. But more surprising was the way seeing her anger had kindled a spark in his mind... and his body. Coughing, he turned his eyes skyward, grinning broadly. "Remind me never to make you mad."

She smiled, a little embarrassed. "Still... it was very sweet of you."

Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. _Sweet? Him?_ No one had ever accused him of that. Well, not in about a millennium anyway. "Uh... ah... heh," he intoned oh-so suavely, unsure how to respond. He cleared his throat and grinned, trying to knock down the nerves he felt. "Ah, listen, after this experience, whaddaya say to some refreshments out back by the pool? My treat, of course."

She just smiled again and nodded, and he led her away from the Elysian Fields. He would leave off thinking about what she'd done to the dead man, and to himself, until later.

**- o - TWO - o -**

Hecate had been pacing for what seemed like decades. It was well after sun-up, and still her hellhounds hadn't returned. The floor of her grotto actually was beginning to look the worse for wear, and she was certain she would need to replace the soles of her sandals. When the two hellhounds finally winged their way home, she glared at them reproachfully. "About goddamned time you returned," she snapped. "What took you so long?"

Mayhem snorted. "Hey, it's not easy following a god, ya know. He's fast and sneaky. More than us, even."

"Plus, we encountered resistance," Havoc added. "Not only was the place he went protected magically from our kind, but they went straight back to the Underworld and of course we couldn't go there. If Hades discovers us, he could negate our contract with you, and we'd have to return to the void."

It was true enough. Hecate had invoked them many years ago, drawing their energy out of the fiery black nether-realm that was natural to the Underworld, and forming their current shapes with her will. All those skilled in black sorcery could manage such a feat. Being contracted to an immortal, they had a very long life to look forward to, if they played their cards right. But Hades was their ultimate master, and he could bring them back easily if he chose to do so, returning them to a mere mindless essence, floating insubstantially in the void of nothingness they had come from. It was their form of death, and they didn't look forward to it anytime soon.

"Anyway, Charon is not friendly to anyone without a coin," Mayhem put in snidely, "and it's not like we have petty cash on hand, er, paw."

"Back up there," Hecate snapped, clamping her hands over both their muzzles to delay any further drivel. "What did you say...? Something about _'they' _went back to the Underworld. Who... is _'they'_?"

The hellhounds glanced at each other nervously. Havoc braved it and spoke. "Uh... It's not something you want to hear."

Hecate grit her teeth. "Just try me," she said sharply.

Sighing, the hellhound approached and told her what they had seen, in a low, calm, soothing voice, which promptly caused Hecate's blood pressure to explode.

"_WHAT?_" she shrieked. "I'm not _good enough_ for him, but he goes right out and brings home some _other slut?_"

"_'Other'_?" Havoc raised an eyebrow.

"But we thought you hated him," Mayhem began to say.

"_For the last time, I DO!_" the witch screamed. The veins in her forehead bulged dangerously. The truth, and they all knew it, was that she cared nothing for Hades and everything for his power. It was merely the principle of the thing, being rejected by him was absolutely unprecedented and it stung. Especially now that he'd found another toy to sport with, so soon after snubbing her.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," snickered Havoc.

"Right you are," Mayhem returned with a grin.

"Shut your fucking yaps," Hecate gave a warning growl. She grabbed Havoc by the scruff of his neck and dragged him over to her cauldron. "Now, be a good boy and show mommy what you saw. In detail."

Havoc sighed. He hated when she did this, using her dark magic to pull images from his mind. But it was part of their contract. He just wished she'd take their word for things instead of demanding to see it for herself. Closing his red eyes, he concentrated, forcing the memories out and into the cauldron of flame. It shimmered, then formed into discernible images. The hellhound sighed again and backed away.

Hecate stared at the pictures, her eyes bloodshot with rage. "Fucking hell... Just some trashy little nature-spirit strumpet." She could barely see the girl's face, but it sure looked like a nymph to her. Pretty and petite and perfect. And absolutely nauseating.

She called her torch to fly into her hand, then touched it to the image in the cauldron, burning it into the mystic fire's memory. Then she commanded the flame to show her what she desired. "All right, Hades, let's see what ungodly mischief you're up to..."

The fire flickered, forming images of the throne chamber, which was totally empty.

"Oh come on, where the hell is he? Probably cozied up in bed with the harlot, right now," she spat hatefully. "All right... that does it. You two," she spun toward the hellhounds, "you're both on 24-hour torch-watch until he enters that room. Got it?"

They sighed, rolling their eyes. "We hear and obey," they chanted in unison.

"How _dare_ he?" the witch scowled, continuing to obsess over the slight. "I'd like to kick his ass and that little whore of his..."

"Hecate, as one woman to another," Mayhem said quietly, "forget the other girl and focus on what's important."

The witch rounded on her minion, fury sparking from her eyes. "And what might that be, bitch?"

Mayhem laid her ears back, but spoke carefully. "He may have picked up a chick, but he didn't find a cure. He's still weak."

"Yes, shouldn't you be researching ways to defeat him?" Havoc put in agreeably.

Hecate sneered and turned away. She really hated it when they were right. Stalking into her dark lair, there she pored over her massive collection of grimoires until even she couldn't stay awake. She was more determined than ever to find some way of defeating Hades. His weakness was bound to have a loophole even a witch could penetrate. And she was a damned good witch. Perhaps while he was wrapped up in lust with some floozy, she might have the opportunity to sneak in and whack him a good one. That'd show 'im.

**- o - THREE - o -**

The two gods walked back across the stone bridge and around behind the palace toward a large pool of water. The water itself was greenish-grey, and a thin waterfall trickled down into it. Surrounding the banks were imitation palm trees made of black stone, underneath which were tables with umbrellas, a grill pit, and several lounge chairs. It had all been Hades' attempt at a 'normal view', a place to hang out in the almost infinitely unlikely event he ever had a party downstairs. Fat chance of that anymore...

At least now though, he could say someone had willingly joined him at the poolside. He smiled as he offered her a seat. Before joining her, he called out loudly, "_Pain! Panic! _Front and center!"

Sparkling smoke filled with arcane symbols materialized before the god, and rematerialized into the imps. Pain gave a little bow in the god's direction. "Back from vacation already, Your Respitefulness?" He grinned. He'd really worked on that pun.

Panic rolled his eyes. "What we mean is, welcome back! Ready to go to work again, Boss?"

"No, I'm not working. At the moment, I'm entertaining a guest." Hades politely indicated the goddess seated nearby.

Persephone smiled and waved. "Uh, hi there," she said, wondering if she would ever get used to being surprised by what happened in this place.

Pain and Panic gaped in wordless amazement. A beautiful goddess was in the Underworld. Being entertained. By their Boss. Willingly, it seemed. It was beyond anything they'd ever experienced. Their tiny minds, trying to wrap around the concept, nearly squeezed their eyes from the sockets with the effort.

Hades cleared his throat. "Boys, that was your cue. Go get us refreshments. Drinks. Nectar. Something," he said, then raised his voice when they still stood slack-jawed and staring. "NOW!"

Coming to their feeble senses, the imps stumbled over one another in their haste to dematerialize again, on their way to the kitchen as quickly as possible.

Hades sighed, shaking his head. He joined the goddess now, taking a seat on the other chair. "Minions. Brain-dead, but ya gotta love 'em... Eh, sort of."

She shook her head as well, laughing a little. "Those were demons too, right?"

"Demons, imps, hellspawn, target practice..." He flicked a spark from his fingertips and grinned, then saw her look of worry and extinguished it. "Uh, scratch that one. They're just part and parcel of my little kingdom. Part of my powers, actually. I created them, along with the Furies, who are flapping around somewhere. Charon was here before me, but he still works for me. I have ultimate control over any demon, even those under contract to others, sorcerers and the like. The griffin, however, is just a griffin. Bought him from a stable-owner who breeds them for show and work."

"Oh," she said softly, unsure what to think. "What about the dog... er, dogs...?"

"Nah, Cerberus is just a monster. Son of Echidna, actually. We've always been on friendly terms, she and I." Then Hades shook his head again, laughing. "Three heads, and the kid doesn't have a brain between them. But hey, I gave him a permanent job anyway. If he could just stop drooling all over everything, we'd get along fine."

Just then Pain and Panic rematerialized, holding a tray of drinks between them. Fumbling and snarling amongst themselves, Pain managed to grab a drink first and held it toward Persephone. When she smiled and thanked him politely, he giggled and blushed, grinning like a bigger idiot than usual.

Panic snorted, giving his buddy the evil eye. What the hell was so great about being the first to talk to this girl? Who was she anyway? He passed the tray with its remaining drink to Hades. "Uh, Boss," he said casually, "what's going on?"

"Well, Panic, that would be... none of your business." Hades smiled and sipped his nectar. "Now scram, vamoose, get lost, until I call you again."

Panic bowed and scraped, backing away with the tray in hand. He grabbed Pain's tail and hauled him along, since the other imp was still simpering and twittering at the goddess. Smacking the magenta imp upside his empty head, Panic scowled. Did he have to take care of everything himself? They dematerialized and left the two deities in relative peace.

**- o - FOUR - o -**

Apollo arrived on time for the date he'd so been looking forward to, reaching Nysa just before Eos stretched her rosy fingers above the eastern horizon. He was thrilled by the prospect of taking Persephone out, as she was by far the loveliest girl, either mortal or immortal, that he'd ever known. _And, boy oh boy, had he known a lot of 'em..._

Since Helios had decided on partial retirement, he had taken over driving the sun chariot most of the time. With hot wheels like that, a real make-out wagon, it was the perfect way to cruise around for chicks. He'd never been set up on a date by anyone's mother (in fact, most mothers hid their daughters when he was around), so as far as he was concerned, Persephone was in the bag. He was practically salivating.

Demeter still thought of him as the poetic, romantic, sensitive sort, which was just peachy by him. If the elder goddess had known his true intentions, she'd have happily castrated him with his own lyre strings.

But when he arrived on Nysa and entered the dark grove that was Persephone's personal space, she was absent. He waited a while, aware of how demure and shy she was, imagining she was taking her time getting ready. When half an hour passed, and still no sign of her, he began to pace. He had to get the sun moving soon, or he'd be too far behind schedule to catch up.

After another few moments Apollo gave up and, muttering curses, flung himself into the sun chariot and flew off. Who needed the prissy, prudish daughter of Demeter anyway? _Even if she was the hottest piece of tail he'd ever seen..._

Okay, maybe he could give her one more try. Maybe she'd forgotten what morning the date was supposed to be. He'd come back tomorrow and try again.

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	7. A Doom With a View

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades explains reasons for his new alternative lifestyle (nice guy), Persephone meets some overwhelming residents of the Underworld, and Hecate gets all cackle-ly witchy plotty._

* * *

**CHAPTER 7 : A DOOM WITH A VIEW  
**Οψιμαθανω

**- o - ONE - o -**

Hades and Persephone spent several hours talking of many light and trivial things, and they tried to forget the incident in the Elysian Fields, as well as get to know each other better. He regaled her with stirring sagas of the early days of the gods, most of which didn't directly involve him. He'd truly stayed as much out of their way as possible, but he stayed abreast of most of the gossip. Persephone didn't know even half the things he told her, and she found the information titillating.

"You're kidding me," she giggled at one point. "Aunt Hera is almost the same age as Zeus? She sure doesn't look it. What's her secret?"

"The Spring of Canathus. She goes every year to regain her youth, among other things," he snickered, rolling his eyes. "And considering how Zeus' eyes tend to wander further and further, to something younger and fresher every year, I guess she has to work harder and harder to keep his attention."

"Are you saying... he cheats on her?" Persephone's eyes widened at the juicy tidbit.

"Ppfft," Hades snorted with laughter. "Oh yeah, everybody wants a little piece of his action. Everywhere he goes, there's a line of 'em, screaming and begging to have his baby or some crap. He's had more women than he can keep track of on all the abacuses in Athens. At least I _think _they're all women... If Hera really knew all the details, I don't know who she'd kill first, the Zeus groupies, or Zeus. Ha!"

Persephone shook her head in disbelief. "It's pathetic. I can't imagine why they even bother staying together..."

"Power. Prestige. Position," Hades shrugged. "I just don't get it. If you're gonna bother getting married at all, it shouldn't be based on anything but passion and love for each other." He shut his mouth quickly, stiffened and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked peculiarly at him, expression soft and a slight smile on her lips. Why in hell had he said that? His eyes darted away from her. He wasn't ready to tell her that part of his life just yet. Time to change the subject.

He cleared his throat. "_Ahem_... So, I couldn't help overhearing you telling your nymph pal back on Nysa... that you have a date with Apollo?" He saw her expression change to a grimace. "Thinking of giving it a miss, eh?"

"Being here, I've already missed it," she sighed. "It was all Mother's idea, not mine."

Hades gave half a grin. "So you really don't want to date him, do you?"

"Gee, how'd you guess?" She grinned in return, crossing her arms.

"Oh, I can't see why not," he rolled his eyes hugely, "I mean, he's a big strapping sculpted bronzed chiseled hunk of a Greek god." He was describing the other deity in a way that made himself seem positively forgettable, not to mention laughable. But if all her reactions were indicative, she wouldn't be one to dwell on looks.

She wasn't. She smirked in a way that could have been duplicated on his own face easily. "Yeah, well, he's got the ego to match the physique."

He really grinned now. Even being the epitome of naïveté, she had seen through Apollo's romantic-leading-man façade to the womanising pig underneath. She may have been innocent, but she wasn't stupid. And he liked her more and more.

She continued, "Oh yeah, he was a real prince charming." Glad to finally be able to tell someone about the rotten day she'd spent on Olympus, her voice practically dripped sarcasm. "His opening line to me practically had Mother swooning, but I just wanted to throw up. I believe it included something about what a _'delicate little flower'_ I was, and how I _'need the sun to make me bloom'_."

"_Oy vey_..." Hades' facial expression mirrored her own, nose pinched and forehead creased in mild disgust. He could have come up with better material in his sleep, not that it would have worked any better, being who he was. Yet even with lame come-ons, Apollo always scored... until now. And that fact thrilled Hades to very heights and depths of his soul, what there was of it anyway.

Persephone snickered at his expression. "Hey, I don't have to be all worldly and experienced to know when a line stinks. And get this. His idea of a first date was to invite me to watch the sun rise... all across Greece..." She swept her hand from horizon-to-horizon, then dropped the other shoe. "...from inside his chariot." They both shuddered at the idea. "I can just imagine being trapped all day up in the skies with him."

"Yeah, so could I," Hades' response came dry as kindling. She'd have been cornered, unable to fend Apollo off. There were already a few not-so-nice stories about his methods with the girls, and the dark god was immensely relieved she wouldn't be one of the statistics.

"And sunrises are lovely to watch," Persephone went on, "but I _have_ already seen 10,176 of them, so nothing new there."

This was new information. He swiftly calculated. Then his mind took a staggering step backward, tripped and landed flat on its ass in shock. He damn near fell off his chair.

In earth time, she was only twenty-seven. Which meant, in god-years, she was_ just shy of sixteen._..

Holy mother of the gods... She was waaay younger than he'd thought. Hell, she was practically an infant. Although into her second stage of life, wherein aging slowed to seven times normal and godly powers were enhanced... she was still _just a child_. She wouldn't be an adult until she was twenty-one. He was staring hard in the face of 2,094 earth years, come mid-autumn, having just passed his fiftieth birthday. The distance between them was as far as one could get, almost literally the Alpha and Omega of the gods.

_(Sadly, Hades was also completely unaware of the Olympian decree of six years previous, changing the age of adulthood to fourteen. He hadn't been available for that Council meeting. So now he sat on the edge of the gaping chasm between their ages, caught in a massive quandary. Quite his own fault, naturally.)_

His head reeled with the implications of what he desired and what he knew was allowable. Amazingly, he had broken very few actual rules in his life, although he could twist them into Gordian knots if it suited his needs. Okay, attacking Olympus had no doubt shattered a few codes of conduct, but nobody else would repay the favor by invading the Underworld, they were all too law-abiding up there. But getting too friendly with an underage goddess... they could drag him out and do painful things to parts of him he'd rather didn't experience pain at all. So, okay, he thought calmly, he could wait. He was a very patient man. He'd waited longer amounts of time than this to accomplish great goals. Not that he was counting, but it would be at least 18,480,960 minutes until he could rightfully touch her... and he was having trouble imagining waiting even one.

So did that mean... he was just as bad as Zeus? He grabbed his mind, hauled it upright, dusted it off. No, of course he wasn't like his perverted brother. Even if he wanted anything serious with this girl -who probably didn't have the slightest interest in him that way, so why was he even worrying about it?- he'd just have to wait. It was only a few (dozen) years. Not that there was anything wrong, per sé, with an age difference. After all they were immortals, not humans, so it really shouldn't matter that much. It was only because of a stupid law (nothing new, when it came to Olympus) that he had no choice but hold back. _And why was half his brain trying so goddamned hard to rationalize things?_

He desperately needed distraction, something that would take the wind right out of his sails. And he knew just the thing. "Well," he said, standing up, "I've rested enough. Care to continue our tour?"

She nodded and rose as well. She'd noticed the strained expression on his face, and wasn't sure exactly what had caused it. Perhaps she would try later to coax an answer from him. In the meantime, she really did want to see more of his kingdom.

He led the way toward the rear of his palace, up a tall winding set of stairs, and in through a side door to his throne chamber. Whereupon he flinched with chagrin and hastily fluttered his hands in front of her eyes. "Uh, don't look yet, the place is a mess," he half-chuckled with embarrassment. Turning her around by the arms, he continued muttering apologetically, "I'll just clean this up, won't take a second, wait right there, okay?"

She grinned to herself, and peeked over her shoulder. The giant open room was a disaster area, obviously having been wrecked by Hades himself. As she casually watched from the corner of her eye, he grabbed a two-pronged pitchfork from behind a large stone chair and began pointing it at various parts of the room. His power was magnified through it, restoring the chamber to its previous condition. The ceiling grew imposing stalactites of intricately patterned spikes, the walls built massive spiralling thorny columns, the floor formed enigmatic designs carved into the very stone. He apparently had a very complex mind, to have conjured up such intriguing decorations in such a short amount of time. She was, yet again, quite impressed.

Returning to her, he smiled contritely. "Sorry. Bachelor's life, y'know, can be a bit unkempt at times. Been meaning to straighten things up for weeks, but... Anyway, should be tidy enough for company now." And he politely ushered her into the room that held his seat of power.

**- o -TWO - o -**

Havoc and Mayhem had been watching the flame in shifts, knowing that Hecate would have demanded it anyway. So far they'd seen nothing of interest. Once Hades' stupid minions had passed through the room, but that was all. For several hours they lounged on the ground by the cauldron, snacking, yawning, wishing they could change the channel already.

Then at last, Hades entered the room, alone at first, and tidied up the chaos. Then he and the girl entered the throne chamber, and the god began pointing out various details to her. Havoc quickly roused his partner to fetch their mistress from her lair, and Mayhem flew across the clearing toward the witch's cottage.

Hecate was immersed in her scrolls. A few hours of thumbing through everything written by mortal or immortal had produced nothing usable. Then she'd uncovered a dusty scroll she didn't realize she even possessed. The author's name was familiar enough._ Eosphoros,_ whom witches called _'the morning star'_. A very old, very powerful sorcerer. Some claimed he was in league with the most terrible demons. And some claimed he was in fact a demon himself, older than most gods, with knowledge of all their weaknesses.

Her fingers trembled on the scroll. Having found it, did she dare open it? What if she conjured up something even she couldn't control? Why was she even hesitating? If anyone knew the secrets she needed, it would be such as he.

With a quickening of her heart and a quivering in her soul, she unfolded the scroll and began to read. Inside an hour, she'd found the spells that would accomplish her desires, and because of her own powers, luckily she would not need to call upon any new demon's aid. Even if she had, it wasn't exactly as though she had a soul to sell anymore. She grew both more excited and more frightened at once, but she was determined to fulfill what she believed to be her destiny. And so she was preparing to send one of the hellhounds out on a scouting mission for supplies, when the darker of the pair entered her lodging.

"Hecate, we have movement," Mayhem announced.

The witch leaped from her chair and dashed outside to see for herself. But it was too late, the targets had vanished from view.

"Sorry," Havoc shrugged. "They just went into that tunnel."

Hecate screamed. And she would have gone on screaming if she hadn't noticed the odd sign above the tunnel. It read "OVER-", followed by an insanely long string of numbers, then "-SERVED". It was the very pit Hades had fallen into and in which he'd suffered. Which meant he probably wouldn't be in there very long.

Okay, maybe she could wait a few minutes before killing anything.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Hades and Persephone emerged from the darkened tunnel into a hollow cavernous room, to stand on a ledge overlooking a vast deep well of swirling brackish water, massed with endless numbers of human souls. As she watched, the souls rose and fell with the movement of water, and when they reached the surface, they sometimes raised a beseeching arm or gave a whispering howl of agony. She frowned, disturbed and saddened, and feeling oddly helpless. Looking back at Hades, she saw his face expressed her own feelings.

"This is Pyriphlegethon, the Vortex of Fire," he said, voice deep and bland.

Wincing away from the edge, she said, "Looks nasty."

"It is," he replied, eyeing it cautiously. "Ruined a perfectly good chiton in there."

She raised her brows in surprise. "You've actually been down there?"

"Once. Unfortunately," he sighed. "See, Hercules came here to rescue his love Megara from my vile clutches... Well, she died, that is. And when he jumped in to save her soul, it briefly restored his godhood. Long enough for him to sock me one in the jaw and send me flying down myself. Mind you, I deserved to be whacked for everything I did, especially to Meg... I wasn't exactly a nice guy to her..." He cleared his throat, not yet ready to admit the extent of his personal involvement with the former minion.

Looking downward again toward the water, he sighed again. "Being in the Vortex was an experience I don't care to repeat. Took me a week to get back out. The souls... wouldn't let me go. Not until I _listened_..."

And then the memories returned forcefully. Screams inside his head, weeping pleas of mercy, the incoherent howls of the damned. The souls had attacked him, tried to tear him apart, and though unable to destroy him, they had beaten at him with their insubstantial fists. And worse, _with their minds_. Everything they experienced had flooded into his head, as the water of Pyriphlegethon mixed them up into a morass of pain and hatred. They wanted out, even more desperately than he did. And then the water had begun to affect him too. It burned, penetrated to his soul, fed him their feelings and memories of life, their sorrows and joys, their deeds and words. It made him understand. And it made him hurt in ways he could never hope to erase.

Shaking his head, unable to forget, Hades ventured closer to the edge, his voice tinged with a dull grief. "In that short time, I came to learn how excruciating death is for mortals... being tormented by endless fire and pain... I never understood before... I never gave a damn, really." Truly, he had virtually despised humans, for various deeply personal reasons, almost since the beginning of his reign. But now... The souls below him gazed up, begging for pity and release. Hades closed his eyes wearily and withdrew from the edge.

"I can see them more as individuals now," he continued. "Most of them don't deserve this kind of punishment. They were just ordinary people... decent folk, good souls. But they don't deserve to be put in Acheron, either. And Styx is shutting down. And of course the Elysian Fields are always closed to me, even though bastards like that dead hero get in for free. It's not fair... but I have nowhere else to keep them... No choice..." He sighed heavily with the weight of knowledge he held, and turned to leave the cavern.

Persephone walked out beside him, thinking aloud. "So, when humans die, their souls come here to the Underworld... and they just stay here, doing nothing. They stay in these waters or in the fields... forever?"

"Yeah, that's about the size of it."

She didn't know a great deal about humans but the Afterlife seemed bad, either endlessly dull, endlessly painful, or endlessly unfair. Something else about it seemed totally wrong, _didn't quite fit..._ but she couldn't put her finger on it just yet. An idea tickled the edges of her mind, but wouldn't come forth. Maybe in time.

As they emerged into the throne room again, Hades looked very depressed. Persephone studied him curiously. She was amazed at all she'd seen and heard. Shadowy prejudiced conceptions that others held disappeared in the light of what she had witnessed. This was not an evil god of darkness. This was a king who had suffered. Who worried about his kingdom, upset he couldn't improve the lot of his subjects. Nevertheless, he was still a disciplinarian at heart. He actually wanted justice in the Underworld. And it touched her heart deeply, making her ache to help him. She spoke gently then. "Sounds to me like, if you were able, you would gladly change the way things are. Separate the good and the bad. Try to give the good souls something nicer..."

"And the bad souls, the suffering they deserve," he nodded, finishing her thought. "Yeah, that's what I'd like to be able to do."

"Seems fair, to me." She tilted her head to one side, considering. "You're really not like everyone says you are."

He met her gaze, a little twitch of the corners of his mouth that was not quite a smile. "Well, I can guarantee many of the stories you've heard are true. I'm guilty of probably everything they've said... and more..." He paused, and sighed. "But a lot has changed..."

"I can tell," she gave him a soft, sincere smile and warm eyes. "Too bad no one else can."

Hades gazed into her eyes and his heart did a slow, mushy roll-over. Unsteady, he turned and walked to one of the palace windows overlooking Acheron, sighing. She was being so kind to him, but did he truly deserve it? He hoped he would somehow become worthy of her generosity. She had come up beside him, and was gazing sidelong at him. He could feel her eyes studying his face, perhaps trying to read into him something better than he was or had ever been. He wished he could live up to her view.

Just as he was turning back toward her, trying to find words to express his thoughts, he was interrupted by something flitting across their vision. From the vast impenetrable blackness that was the Underworld ceiling, two shadows detached themselves and hovered before the window, smiling. "Ah, Nyx and Erebos," he said with a genuine smile, waving to them.

Persephone's eyes widened for the dozenth time. "Who?"

"Two other deities who abide in my realm." He pointed them out as introduction. "Nyx personifies Night, and Erebos is Darkness itself."

The pair floated closer, though it was still difficult to make out their specific features. Each was so ancient as to be nearly indefinable in ordinary forms. What could be seen was stunning. Nyx was lovely and dark, in shades of midnight blue and purple, her long hair flowing, eyes like moonbeams, her fluttering peplos opened to reveal the night sky filled with twinkling stars. Erebos was regal and dusky, his skin and hair deep blue and grey, eyes like black opals, his drifting himation so black the light was absorbed by it.

Nyx's voice, when she spoke, seemed to enter Persephone's head without using her ears._Greetings, daughter of earth. Welcome to our world._

"Thank you," Persephone said softly. She felt strange, with a voice inside her head. It made her slightly dizzy.

_Thanatos, son_, Erebos said in the same manner, _enjoy yourself. You deserve it after so long..._

Hades flushed slightly. Now was not the time for them to meddle in his personal life. "Uh, it's nothing really... Don't you two have something else to be doing?"

They smiled all-knowingly and wafted toward the Underworld gateway, off to attend to the elements of their domain, which they did more out of eons of habit rather than need.

Persephone shook her head to clear the foggy feeling Night had left behind. "Did Erebos call you _'son'_?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, they sort of generally adopted me when I moved in here," Hades said. "They've always been here, as far as anyone knows. They're older than just about anything on earth. In fact, we are related through my grandmother, Gaia. They're my great-aunt and -uncle."

"What did they call you?" she asked around a yawn. "Thanatos? Death?"

"Suits me, in keeping with my office...," he paused, noticing her sudden tiredness. "I guess Nyx got to ya, huh? Sleepy?"

"Yeah," Persephone yawned again, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he chuckled. "It takes a while to get used to their way of communicating. Besides, since they're on their way outside, that means it's nighttime. May not seem like it, but we've been down here a full day already."

"Wow... Really? Doesn't feel that way... though I am pretty tired..." She was more than tired, she was passing out. Her body began to slump and her eyes fluttered almost shut.

Hades berated himself. He should have expected this, and his relatives should have known better than to talk directly to her. The uninitiated were affected strongly by their speech. After all, the two of them were children of Chaos itself, and parents of Hypnos, who had inherited their power of sleep. Oh, well, too late now.

Persephone started to step toward him and swayed, nearly collapsing. He reached out and caught her before she hit the floor. Now she was completely gone, fast asleep, limp and helpless, splayed against his chest and held fast in his arms.

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Okay, all right. You were planning to stay the weekend anyway..." He scooped her up gently, then walked through the throne chamber and toward the stairs leading to his personal quarters upstairs. "I just hope I have fresh sheets in the guest room..."

**- o -FOUR - o - **

Hecate had watched the entire scene, and though she hadn't heard every word, she was livid nevertheless. "Ugh, would you just _look at her?_" she spat scornfully. "So much sweetness and light, you could get cavities and sunstroke all at once!" Snarling furiously, she raked her claws through the magic fire, nearly putting it out. Then she stomped around the grotto, protesting the injustice of it all. "I cannot b_elieve_ he'd prefer Little Miss Hearts-and-Flowers, over the Queen of Evil!"

All pseudo-sympathy, Mayhem responded, "There's just no accounting for taste, is there, sugar?"

"Prime example right here," Havoc nudged his head toward the witch.

Hecate growled dangerously. "Shut the hell up, you son-of-a-bitch."

"Can't help what I was born," Havoc grinned, wagging his tail. Mayhem just giggled.

Rolling her eyes back into her skull, Hecate paced again. Suddenly a thought twitched into her consciousness, and she stopped pacing. "Hold on... that little trollop didn't look like a nymph to me." She whirled around to her minions, demanding, "Didn't you say he went to Nysa Island?"

They nodded affirmatively.

"Strange..." Hecate frowned in contemplation. "That place is practically crawling with nymphs. But if this wasn't a nymph, then who...?"

And then a slow fissure melted across her face, a grin that was like the earth slowly splitting during a quake. "Oh... my... gods," she drawled with dawning satisfaction, "_Demeter's... precious... baby... girl!_" She giggled almost hysterically at the thought. " Holy shit... That clueless little sheltered twit... on a date... _with Hades!_ Hahahaha!" She almost doubled over with triumphant laughter.

Though the witch hadn't met the young goddess, she was well-informed of her personal circumstances. This Persephone, or Kore as she was sometimes called, was already being referred to as the unofficial fourth virgin goddess. Her life was totally controlled by her domineering mother. Who just happened, conveniently, to absolutely despise Hades. Well, _everyone _despised Hades, especially lately, what with the war he'd tried to start and all. And now he was playing footsie with the picture of purity and innocence, which could easily start another war... and certainly not in his favor. Old Hades had definitely bitten off more than even his impressive fangs could chew this time. A fresh plot began to bubble inside the cauldron of the witch's mind, one that might aid and abet the original plot in very exciting ways.

Stalking toward the cottage, rubbing her hands together in all-too-classic evil glee, Hecate chuckled, "Ohhh... wouldn't earth mommy dearest just have a COW if she knew the company her girl is keeping these days...?"

Mayhem lifted an eyebrow and asked of her companion, "Do I smell the pungent aroma of blackmail brewing?"

Havoc made a business of sniffing the air. "Ah, yes, a heady bouquet. Though I prefer the scent of a good soup bone myself."

"Oh, shove it, you mangy mutts!" Hecate bawled from across the grotto, "I'm trying to plot evil over here!"

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Hades carried Persephone into the bedroom next door to his own, laid her gently down and covered her with the sheets. He didn't even let himself think about undressing her. That temptation would have driven him beyond even his amazing restraint. But he did sit briefly beside her slumbering form. _So beautiful, so gentle.._. she almost broke what there was left of his heart. His fingertips strayed forth, barely brushing over her lips. _So soft, so sweet._.. he longed with all his soul to press them to his own. And that longing pierced through him like a double-edged sword of ice and fire.

Pulling his hand away, he frowned at himself. This was all some plot of the Fates. What in the world had they intended when they'd sent him after her? What the hell were they planning? He wasn't sure he wanted to know, wasn't sure he could handle it. Yet, part of him sincerely didn't mind.

In her sleep, Persephone gave a sigh with an edge of a moan. He didn't know what she was dreaming, but it looked interesting. She shifted slightly, arms

raising above her head, and her whole lovely body arched, stretching provocatively... _innocently_... alluringly... _guilelessly._..

He sighed heavily and departed the room, leaving her to her dreams. When tomorrow came, they could continue the tour. But for now... He sensed all the pleasantly clenched, lightly pulsating regions of his body and looked down at his long fingers, flexing them anxiously.

For now, he needed to... take a _really cold_ shower.

**- o -SIX - o - **

The second morning arose, brightly. Apollo returned to Nysa, expectantly. He left again, disgustedly. Contemplated giving it up, briefly. Then reconsidered, lustfully.

The young goddess was shy, and tomorrow was another day. She was playing a sporting game of cat and mouse, but he would prevail in the long run. He was certain.

Oh-so typically.

**- o - SEVEN - o - **

When Persephone awoke, she didn't know where she was at first. It was very dark, and the sounds and smells were foreign. She sat up, startled, then gradually remembered her surroundings. She'd fallen asleep in Hades' arms, and had a dim awareness of being carried, but that was it.

Looking around, she saw the darkly appointed bedchamber, semi-lit with braziers he'd thoughtfully left burning all night for her. As she rose, she absently brushed wrinkles from her chitonion, then noticed she was actually still dressed. Hades hadn't undressed her or loosened her zonen or anything, and realising she was imagining such a thing made her blush. Obviously he was too much of a gentleman to take her clothes off without her knowledge or permission. He really was a different sort of guy.

She wondered where he was and started for the door, but then paused. Something had caught her eye, something out-of-place with the rest of the decor. There was a trunk against the wall, made of pale wood, carved with delicate leaves and flowers. It was too intriguing to ignore.

Feeling a bit guilty at her Pandora syndrome, she knelt and lifted the lid. She recognized the wood as white poplar... the same as the tall tree near the Underworld entrance. Inside were clothes, light in color and brittle with age. Women's clothes, small, human-sized. And other items belonging to a woman. A silver-handled brush and polished bronze mirror. Shell-inlaid combs to pin up hair, braided ribbons to tie it back. Silver-colored sandals, a girdle sewn like vines and leaves. And one more thing...

She picked up the last item, a peroné. Silver also, and shaped like a skull. It was a perfect match to the one Hades himself wore. With a peculiar longing, she rubbed her fingers over the design, wondering...

Whose things had these been? Where was she now? Hades hadn't mentioned any women in the Underworld, other than Styx and Nyx, both of whom were obviously not involved with him in that way. And he didn't seem to have anyone special in his life right now. But it was clear these items belonged to someone he had once cared for deeply. And he'd been unable to get rid of them, long after the woman had departed.

Persephone replaced the peroné gently and shut the lid. She felt a sadness welling inside her heart, but she didn't know why. Perhaps she was sad for Hades, if the woman had left him, or sad for the woman, for no longer being with such a surprisingly sentimental man... Or maybe, the thought came quietly, she was sad for herself because she'd never known that kind of love... Silently, she left the room and its memories behind, and went to find the dark god.

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	8. Burning a God at Both Ends

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Persephone learns about Hades' first love, then learns a truly dreadful secret, while Pain and Panic strike a deal with two dead guys._

* * *

**CHAPTER 8 : BURNING A GOD AT BOTH ENDS  
**Φλογ Αιθερα Λακτιξοισα

**- o - ONE - o - **

Outside the room, Persephone found little hand-written notes stuck to the walls. Hades had left her a paper trail, in order to find him when she awoke. It was amusing, and kind of sweet actually. She followed them downstairs and out back toward the poolside, where she saw he sat relaxing. But before she could get to the pool, Pain and Panic dashed forward on their way to the Boss themselves.

As Panic passed by, he turned a baleful eye upon her. At the same instant, Pain turned his head to smile in her direction. However that meant he neglected to watch his footing and he tripped, upon which his partner slammed full-tilt into him. Tumbling and cart-wheeling, horns over tails, they crashed forcefully into one of the stone palm trees. Grumbling, picking bits of slivered rock from their hides, they disentangled themselves and limped forth toward Hades.

He had watched the approach with his typical dry, flat, ever-so-slightly-amused-monarch-to-bungling-court-jesters expression. When they stood saluting before him, he intoned, "Where's the fire, boys?"

"Well... uh... we just thought you might like to re-establish the weekly update meetings," Panic said, flustered. "Get some idea of what's _going down _downstairs, you know..."

"We drew charts and pictures and everything," said Pain, holding up the sheaf of papers he'd brought along. "And we made sure to color inside the lines, this time."

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose, still reasonably patient. "I distinctly recall telling you two, I'm not working yet because I'm entertaining." He then waved his hand over their heads. "My guest is right behind you, if you failed to notice. _Still_ here. Not gone. That means I'm _still_ entertaining. _Still_ not working._ Comprehendé?_"

"But there are things you really, really should know!" Panic whined in a panicked tone. He was good at it.

Hades' hair flared red along the top. "This is the Underworld. Everyone is dead, or has a death-wish like you. Nobody's going anywhere, right? So anything that you have to tell me can surely wait. Don't you think?"

Knowing when they were defeated, the imps hastily gathered up their papers and made a mad scramble away from the pool. Panic sneered at the goddess, blaming her for distracting the Boss away from his necessary duties. He wished she would just hurry up and leave. Pain, on the other hand, giggled again and waved 'bye to her.

She waved in return, a little confused. "Did I interrupt anything important?"

"Not even remotely, I guarantee it," Hades assured her, smiling. "Come, sit."

Smiling, she joined him. "Have I missed an entire day?"

"Nah, it's only early afternoon. I guess you did sleep a pretty long time, but I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful..." He cleared his throat nervously. While she'd been unconscious, he'd been quite tense. And the measures he'd taken to physically relieve that tension, apparently hadn't been quite enough. Adjusting his himation across his lap, he went on casually. "So, uh, sleep well? Pleasant dreams?"

"Don't recall any. I'm sorry I fell asleep like that," she said, as he waved his hands dismissively at the statement. "Well, it seems rude of me, to just black out in the middle of a conversation. You're not boring, honestly." She grinned, and so did he.

"Ah, I'm just glad you're better now. So, would you like breakfast? I can whip it up in no time," he remarked solicitously.

"No, I'm not especially hungry." Then she lowered her eyes, and haltingly admitted, "Actually, Hades, I woke up a little while ago, and... I looked through some things upstairs... inside a trunk in the bedroom. I know it was wrong, but... I felt compelled somehow. I hope... you're not mad at me..."

His eyes dropped as well. He wasn't mad, though a little numb. Frankly, he wondered why he'd put Persephone in that room. She was bound to notice things in there. Maybe he'd secretly hoped to be able to tell someone... someday... He sighed. "Yeah, I... kind of forgot some of that stuff was in there... It's nothing... anymore..."

Persephone hesitated briefly, wondering whether to speak. But the look of sad, old pain on his face wouldn't let her be silent. Softly, she said, "She... must have been very special to you." When Hades looked up, she could almost make out the shapes of memories of happier times cut short, swimming just beneath the surface of his eyes. She almost found herself apologising for speaking, making him recall, but then he whispered a reply.

"Yes...," was all he said.

In a similar tone, she asked, "What happened to her?"

He lowered his eyes again, though the memories remained floating in them. He clasped his hands between his knees and sighed. How much should he say? What would she think? Did it even matter? He looked up again, eyes more steady, the pain hardening in them, and he searched her face for signs of her feelings. But he saw only compassion and openness.

Taking a breath, he answered her. "She died."

"Oh...," Persephone said, quite surprised. "She was mortal?"

"Apparently so. Functionally immortal, but not close enough." He ran a hand through the flames of his hair, trying to rub the feelings of guilt from his head. "She was a nymph, a dryad."

"Ah," the goddess said softly. "And her tree died. Was that her tree... back near the gateway?"

"Yeah..." His voice was small and lonely.

And it moved her deeply. Though he would obviously never ask for it, he seemed to need comfort so much. She could sense he was strong, stronger than most gods would ever be. Few of them had dealt with the amount of loss he seemed to have gone through in his long life. Loss of his childhood, loss of respect, loss of love... She reached forward, her hand resting lightly on his arm, and felt her words would never be enough to comfort him. "I'm... very sorry."

"It's been a long, long time. Nearly seven hundred years," he said, shaking his head and staring down at her hand where it touched him. "You'd think I'd be over her by now..."

"Not if you loved her that much..." Her voice was so gentle, it burned him.

"I did..." He closed his eyes again, sighing softly. He could recall his wife's face like yesterday. Probably the result of so much Mnemosyne water. "But sometimes I wish I hadn't. Loving her, then losing her... that's what pushed me into the role I've played for so long. That's why," he said flatly, "I became evil."

Persephone knit her brows in confusion. "How can loving someone bring you to evil?"

Hades sighed again, deeply. Disclosing his private life to anyone had never been easy. But something about this goddess made him want to confide all, share all, _trust all to her_... Rising, he said, "Come with me. I'll... introduce you two."

**- o -TWO - o -**

Pain and Panic were overburdened and getting desperate. If only the Boss had listened, because right now they were in deep shit. There were loose souls everywhere. For no discernible reason, they were crawling from the River Styx by the dozens, every hour on the hour. Frantic, the imps had managed to corral a large number into a cave near the river bank, but there were still hundreds more roaming around. They didn't know what else to do, since there was nowhere to keep them. And none of them would go back into the river. They knew the Boss would be furious at the mess.

Struggling to maintain police order, Panic was swatting at the souls with Hades' own dikranon, the two-pronged fork, taken from the throne chamber. He knew the Boss would clobber him for it, but this was an emergency and he needed a symbol of authority. Of course he had no idea how to even turn it on, though he knew it could easily spear and hold a soul, among its other uses. So he merely waved it threateningly and shouted, "Back! Back I say! Don't make me use this!"

Pain was holding the souls back with something even more fearsome. He had absconded with an instrument the Furies used inside Tartarus, for torturing souls. It was long and stick-like, and it gave off a painful jolt when touched. He seemed to accidentally hit himself with it as much as he hit the souls, and he was left shuddering and giddy with a strange pleasure.

Panic growled furiously at him. "Will you stop playing with that damned toy and help me?"

Pouting, Pain waved the stick at the souls. "All right you guys, come on... make my millennium!"

**- o -THREE - o - **

Hades was beginning to wonder if he'd made the right decision, taking Persephone to see his deepest-held secrets. These weren't things he ever divulged lightly, and he dreaded the potential of her disapproval and rejection. But she was fast becoming such an intrinsic part of his brain, and -dare he think it- his heart, that he didn't want to leave her in the dark.

They arrived in the alcove and Hades walked toward the tree, almost reverently. His face burdened with memories, he laid one hand gently against the ancient dead wood. It was white poplar, a soft wood. Not as soft as skin, but it was still her... even in this form. He felt again, almost as strong as ever, the anguish of loss, the regrets, the unfulfilled wishes... If only they'd had a child, at least then he wouldn't have been so utterly alone...

Persephone sat on the raised rim of the gazing pool beside the tree. She was curious to know about the nymph, but didn't want to disturb Hades. He obviously had loved her a great deal... She stared at the incredible height of the tree, recognising its type and its amazing age. It had to be four or five hundred years, easily. Had they been together all that time?

Gradually, Hades stepped away from the tree, away from his deeper thoughts, and joined the young goddess on the edge of the pool. He sighed. "Memories... I just don't know how to let go. Never did... not sure if I ever will... sometimes wish I could... Of course, the Pool of Mnemosyne is definitely the place for memories." Gazing now into the pool, he trailed a fingertip in the deep true-blue water, and felt its power flow softly into him. The image of a familiar face seemed to pass over the water's surface among the ripples. Leuke...

Persephone didn't see it, but she saw the look of yearning cross his face, how strongly he still missed the nymph after all this time. She lowered her eyes, thinking perhaps it really was too private, that she shouldn't have pried. Though she longed to help him settle his mind somehow, wished she had the means to ease his pain... For something to do, she too dipped her fingers into the water.

And the reaction shocked them both. The electricity between them forged an unexpected bond through the medium of the water, fusing their minds together. Gasping aloud as the connection was made, they stared alarmed into each other's eyes. Then the images began to flow...

And she saw everything he was remembering.

_...twelve hundred years ago... late summer... bachelor party for Poseidon, being dragged along... a wild night out at a well-known dryad's grove, before the wedding day... nymphs shun him, as expected... all women have avoided him, goddesses, nymphs, humans... but he refuses to ever force his will on any female... still a small frightened child, he witnessed his mad father violently rape his helpless mother, vowed he would die before doing the same... but he feels so alone... yet a virgin, at age thirty-three... sitting alone, away from the noise of the others, resting against a solitary white poplar..._

_the dryad is startled... at first afraid like the others, then relaxing... she talks to him, having been given speech magically by Hermes... explains the reason for all their fears... his hair they had thought to be real fire... his powers of death, they thought to touch him meant to die instantly... unaware, touching her tree, he's proven them all wrong... her soul's gift is to see what others feel... she understands him so completely, his loneliness and desire... she doesn't fear him... she touches him, rubs herself against him, kisses him, surprising him completely... makes passionate love to him there in the grass... his first time... so sweet, so giving, such delicious release... _

_...stupidly, he fights his attraction for her, days afterward... thinks she was taking pity on him... Hermes visits, throws a rock at his head... get it through your thick skull, the messenger god says... nymphs are incapable of playing such mind games, too honest, too innocent at heart... he gives in, goes back to see her almost daily... grows quickly to love her... brings her home to stay with him... calls her his wife, though Olympus would never agree to a nymph as a god's queen... …passionate, long, happy years pass... watching her nearly hibernate through winters, blooming into a lusty sex-starved beast every spring... watching her grow, learn, become sophisticated... Leuke, dear Leuke... five hundred years..._

_...then tragedy strikes hard... he comes home to find her in great pain... her tree, she says, a terrible storm has blown it down, the roots exposed... dying... he panics, wants to run out to save the tree... she begs him, don't go, stay with me love, it's too late... don't want to die alone... he goes anyway, frantic, desperate to help... finds the tree already dead... further panic... rushing home again only to find her vanished without a trace, not a body, not a soul... nymphs have no real soul... ...anguish nearly kills him... he returns to Kokytus, to finish the job... Nyx and Erebos stop him... he goes instead to retrieve her tree... finds humans chopping its branches for firewood after the storm... ...furious beyond belief, he destroys them... the first time he has actually killed, remorseful, but bitter..._

_his distaste for humans growing into near hatred over the following centuries... the panic which caused him to miss saying goodbye to her, the unbearable pain of the loss... these he tries to rip from his own mind, forming two imps that represent these feelings... they serve him, so he can punish them as he punishes himself... the Furies, he forms as his rage against humans... creating Tartarus, Pyriphlegethon, to torture souls... he no longer cares about anyone, anything..._

_...the worst yet to come, the reactions of other gods... some unaware he'd even been with her... Zeus scoffing in confusion... she was just a nymph, no big deal... you can always find another, they're all the same anyway... black hatred fills his soul, burning away whatever goodness Leuce had built up..._

_...he would make them pay... all of them..._

Hades gasped and ripped his hand away from the water, breaking the connection. Staring with absolute horror into Persephone's wide eyes, he backed away from her. "I had... no idea," he breathed a little unsteadily, "the pool had such a power..." Now she had seen everything he was, everything he had done, in such detail that she couldn't help but loathe him to the core. Turning his eyes away from her, he cringed inwardly in expectation of the worst.

The fear in his eyes broke her heart. She'd just seen most of his life, from inside his own head, knew what an intensely private man he was. And now his mind had been laid bare, had been invaded, his perspective of events witnessed in a way that no one else had understood. Until now. She whispered loudly enough for him to hear, "It's unfair... I saw so much and you saw nothing of my life..." She dipped her fingers into the pool again. "We can look at my life now, if you want. It's not much to see, but..."

With amazement, Hades realized what she was doing. She was offering herself up, freely and willingly, to him. Returning the sacrifice he'd just unwittingly made to her. Head spinning, not sure if it was because of the water or because of her, he shook it in gentle refusal. "No... no need. I'm sure your life is an open scroll, compared to mine. I just... I've never been so exposed before." He turned his head away. "It's just... a little unnerving, you know?"

She understood him enough to know he now needed reassurance. Smiling, Persephone said, "I saw much, but I'm sure there's still much more. And I'm sure... I'll still like what I see of you in the future."

Turning surprised eyes toward her once again, he saw that she was not only offering herself to him, but offering to remain open to whatever else was unveiled. His head was definitely spinning because of her...

"You had good reasons for all that you did in the past," she continued gently. "painful reasons. Even if you went a bit overboard." She gazed at him now with the softest, strangely wistful eyes. "You did it all for love."

And he would do it all again, he thought. _For love_... The thoughts tumbled backward out of reach, as the rattling of chains on his heart reminded him love was an option that no longer existed. Sighing, he shook his head again. "All I've done, all the chaos I caused... was the product of years of anger and bitterness. And while I haven't changed everything within me, I have changed enough... to know how pointless it all was. That none of it would ever bring her back..." His voice caught slightly, but he gave a small cough. "And no one needs to fear me anymore..."

Persephone rose and came to stand before him. Then she reached up, and touched his flaming hair. It was warm, toasty as regular hair after hot summer sun beating down. But it wasn't actual flame, although she knew he could transform it into the real thing just as easily as he tossed fire from his hands. Just like the smoke creeping from beneath his feet, it was merely an aspect of his powers. As she stroked his hair she realised its movements, flickering softly over her fingertips, truly did feel like fire. Now she understood the meaning of 'tongues of flame'. Smiling at his perplexed face, she repeated what his dryad wife had said so many centuries ago, answering his unasked question of trust and hope. "I don't fear you..."

As he stared speechlessly down at her sweet face, felt her hand caress him so tenderly, there came a quiet _'chink' _inside his chest. A link of the old iron chain had snapped, and the remaining loops hung looser over his heart. Smiling dazedly at her, he reached and took her fingers away from his hair, cupping her small delicate hand in his. Then he quietly studied their hands, fingers twined together, the contrast of colors, and the shapes of bones and sinews. Somehow, the two joined looked... right.

Persephone's heart thumped shakily. He was gently rubbing her wrist with his fingertips, his face very thoughtful, and she felt again that sensation she'd had when they met on Nysa. Powerful, pulsing beneath her skin. Now that she'd presented her willingness to be open to him, had seen inside him... she became annoyingly nervous. She felt herself standing on the brink of some precipice she couldn't yet comprehend, and she wasn't yet ready to leap completely and blindly into it. Though sorely regretting, she decided the only way to cope... was to break the moment. "Uh, there was one thing in your memories I didn't quite understand," she said softly.  
That broke the spell. Hades gently released her hand. "What thing was that?"

"Um, something about... Kokytus. What is that?"

If the spell had been broken before, it was splintered now. His face fell inward, impaling itself upon the shards of memory the name brought up to spear him. But he could no longer hide anything from her, nor did he want to. "Kokytus... is the bane of my existence. And the only thing a god truly needs to fear."

A chill passed through her. And it continued when he walked from the alcove and indicated she should follow, with the words, "Come and I'll show you..."

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Pain and Panic were still trying to beat the loose souls into submission, rather unsuccessfully, when suddenly two other souls appeared on the river bank, and spoke to them. "Is there a problem, boys?" It was Rhadamanthys, the dead king.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance?" his partner Aiakos asked politely.

Panic, fed up to his eyeballs with human souls, turned on them with pitchfork raised threateningly. "You talkin' to me?" he snarled. "Yeah, bucko, you can help us out all right... You can jump in the river, where ya fuckin' well belong, and stop hasslin' us!"

Then Styx rose up from the river in question. Surprisingly, she was in partial nymph form. Her deep purple skin was sheened with water, her ankle-length lavender hair dotted with droplets, and her slanted black eyes sparked with power. She leveled a deadly glare at the imps and shook her head in warning, indicating the two souls.

"Aw, whadda _you _want, sister?" Panic sneered at her.

"Uh... Panic, maybe now would be a good time to shut up," Pain tried to shush him, wary now.

The green imp ignored him. And turned up his long pointed nose at the goddess. "_Women!_ You're all alike! _Trying to control us guys!_"

That settled it for her. Lifting her hands, she therefore lifted the river into a near tidal wave, and aimed it right for the imps.

Panic and Pain scrambled uselessly to escape. Both of them headed the opposite direction... meaning, straight into each other. Nothing new. They were battered by the wave, shoved against the cavern wall like so much flotsam and jetsam. For a moment, they wondered if even they could drown. Then the wave subsided and they collapsed, gasping, onto the river bank. Sputtering, they looked up to see Styx still poised half-in, half-out of the water. And then she did something absolutely unprecedented in the six-hundred-plus years they'd been around.

She spoke.

_These souls_, she pointed at the kings, and her voice seemed still overlapped by the sound of rushing water,_are chosen by me to be free. Do you have a PROBLEM with that?_

"Nope, not a one," Panic squeaked, eyes bugging.

"It's A-OK by me!" Pain agreed, shaking his head.

Satisfied, Styx melted back into the river with one last scowl.

The kings turned toward the imps again, smiling. Aiakos held out a semi- solid hand to Pain, helping him to his feet. "If we may reiterate the previous offer," he said politely, "we could be of some assistance to you."

"Indeed," Rhadamanthys said, attempting to help Panic up as well, and having his hand rejected. "We have already been of help to Lord Hades. And since we are human, we could perhaps persuade these human souls to cooperate a bit better. Hmm?"

The souls gathered around nodded agreeably.

The imps stared at each other, Panic leaning on the Boss' dikranon, Pain twiddling the jolt-stick in his fingers. They then shrugged. What did they have to lose?

Thus was formed a casual alliance between demons and kings.

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Hades led Persephone away from Mnemosyne and back toward the palace. They followed the curving rock walls for a way, then came to a dark niche. Inside were a locked pair of doors which he began to open, but then hesitated. "Persephone," he said quietly, "this room is very dangerous, even for gods. Please, don't touch anything, okay?"

Confused and a little nervous at this, she just nodded.

He inserted a skeleton-shaped key into the lock and the double doors slid apart with a sinister hiss. There were a few stairs leading downward, and at the end was a stone floor with sharp bony rocks protruding here and there. Hades glided down the stairs, onto the floor, and she followed carefully stepping over spurs of rock. The same pointed formations erupted from the walls and ceiling, and several carved skeletons lined the walls as well, as if guarding the mysteries of this room... or warning against them. Between the last two skeletons was a small shelf, holding a few empty glass bottles of various sizes, gathering dust. And at the end of the room was a misty white waterfall, trickling between the blackened rocks above and a cauldron below, somehow seeming to flow both upward and downward at once.

Hades stopped at a respectful distance before the waterfall. His voice was very quiet as he spoke, but it still made a rustling echo in the sepulchral room. "This is Kokytus... the Fall of Tears."

Persephone felt her skin crawl. Something in this room chilled her deeply, almost as if a silent presence was hovering, watching them. "Why is it dangerous for us?" she asked, half-whispering.

He spoke slowly and carefully, knowing that when he told her, she would discover one more of his secrets, possibly two. "Because, drinking enough of it... would turn us mortal."

At first her eyes widened, surprised merely at the concept. She had never heard of a god becoming mortal... then realized there was one. A child. Turning to Hades, she said, "You... _you're the one who took away Hercules?_"

"Yes," he sighed. "I know it sounds like a pathetic rationalization, but I was conned into it. By the Fates."

She furrowed her brow. "They planned it all along? That explains a lot..."

"Yeah... In my foolish desire to take over Olympus, I consulted them," he said quietly. "I believed, had been almost assured I would be victorious. But only if Hercules wasn't around to fight me."

"So... you had to get him out of the way..." she said, comprehending his rationale. "You planned to kill him, didn't you?"

Hesitantly, he answered. "I... don't know anymore. Frankly, I never did check to see if the plan was carried out..." He closed his eyes wearily. "I'm glad it didn't succeed, for several reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that Zeus, if he'd found out, would surely have mutilated me. If he knew I was responsible for Hercules' mortality he'd have, at the very least, my _head _on a platter..."

"I don't know...," she said thoughtfully, "the way I see it, if the Fates decided it, then there wouldn't have been anything he could do to change it. And Hercules did reverse his own immortality, to stay with Megara. I was a personal witness to his decision that day. Besides, mortal or not, he's living a happy life, and Zeus is very proud of him. I'm sure that means more than anything else." She lowered her voice, making it so gentle it cut right to his heart. "And you're certainly not the same god you were then."

Hades looked into the waterfall again. He had changed more than once in his life. "No, I... guess I'm not the same..."

She smiled at him, but couldn't get him to meet her eyes just yet. Looking back at the Fall, a thought rumbled uncomfortably through her head. "Wait... how did you even know this water could do such a thing? Have you used it before?"

He laughed, a dry humorless chuckle. Then he sighed, deep and personal and filled with lifelong resignation. "Yeah, I guess you could say that_ I have.._."

And her eyes flew open in genuine alarm. She barely got the words out. "You actually... drank it... yourself?"

His eyes glazed over as he stared at the deadly water flowing before him. "An honest mistake. When I first arrived here, I went exploring my new kingdom and found this locked room. I was curious about the Underworld, even naïve, I thought nothing could ever hurt me, I'm a god, right? But Kronos... never left anything behind but pain..." Muttering, he berated himself for his mistakes. "Stupid me... I saw this waterfall and it was so lovely, I got to reminiscing about life on Olympus, the golden nectar-filled falls... I was a little homesick at the time... so I stick a finger in the water, taste it... And the next thing I know..." He held up his hands, staring almost through them. "_Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom_, bye-bye... to my godly glow..."

And with a jolt she realized what she hadn't truly noticed before. There was absolutely no radiant light around him, not even the palest glimmer. All gods had it. All... but Hades. In utter shock, she whispered, "_You... have no aura.._."

"Gone for nearly two thousand years," he said dully, "gone forever."

"How... horrible," her voice broke. It was the worst thing she could imagine happening to any god. Even what Zeus and Hera had endured over their son, even that didn't seem as terrible as living every day with the knowledge you were... incomplete. He had been secretly crippled, and hiding it for millennia. And when he'd lost his only love, he'd considered suicide, using more of the same thing that had harmed him before. He had lost so much, so much... He was so different from any other, so different from what they thought... She felt tears pricking her eyes, but refused to cry, staying calm for his sake.

The pity in her eyes was evident, and oddly enough it didn't upset him. He had spent so long pitying himself, for so many reasons, it seemed only right that she did too. He sighed deeply again. "This is the biggest reason I hate the Underworld. Because it damaged me permanently."

Her heart filled with protective feelings. If she could have cured him, repaired him, healed him... she'd have done absolutely anything. Stepping closer, she lifted a hand to touch the side of his face, peered softly into his wounded eyes. Her voice was sympathetic and sincere and the stuff of miracles to his heart. "Hades, I'm truly sorry... I wish I could do something to help..."

There was a look of such utter kindness in her perfect blue eyes, that he nearly couldn't breathe. Perhaps she didn't simply _pity _him. Perhaps it was her pure, gentle heart shining through. An honest desire to aid him, to protect him... Something he never thought he'd see directed at himself, ever again. Awestruck, he took her free hand in his, caressed it lightly with his thumb. His voice when he spoke was quiet. "It helps to say it. You are the only one I've told this."

This revelation made her heart leap. He trusted her, just her, with something of this magnitude, and it honored her. Gently, she said, "It will stay between us. Always."

He couldn't even speak. But he felt the chains sliding across his heart, and habit made him try to shrug them back in place again. Strengthened by the practice of guarding his heart, he nodded to himself. He wouldn't take for granted the feelings he knew were developing, nor would he assume that she was being anything but kind and sweet, as she might have been to anyone else. He pushed aside the emotions and said, "Come on, let's get out of this hellhole..."

She lowered her hand and took the tiniest of steps backward. And something seemed to reach out, snag the hem of her chitonion... _and it wouldn't let go._ She felt the pull, felt a sudden fear of overwhelming, nameless proportion.

And she screamed.

Hades whirled and grabbed her arms, seeing the wide-eyed horror on her face. Pulling her close to his chest, there came a hideous ripping sound. Frantically, his eyes pierced every crevice of the room for whatever had attacked her, as she whimpered against his body. Then his hunting gaze dashed to the floor, and he saw there a piece of white cloth clinging to a bony spur of rock. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. She'd just caught her chitonion hem on a rock and had torn part of it loose.

Gently, he tried to lift her off his chest, to show her it was okay. But she clung tightly, her hands gripping his chiton and her eyes clenched shut. She was absolutely terrified, shaking with it. He frowned, worried about such a strong reaction. But this was neither the time nor place to reassure her. With her still pressed against him, he led her up the short stairway and outside into the somewhat brighter Underworld, and back up to the palace.

However... he forgot to lock the door to Kokytus.

**- o - SIX - o - **

Hecate was sitting in the middle of the grotto, where she'd brought her worktable and tools. She had completed Step One of her black spell, and had a few others items to work on for use in her plan. But she couldn't move the cauldron comfortably into her cottage, so she sat outside and watched the flames. It had been nearly two full days since Hades had brought the young goddess downstairs. She flicked her eyes upward now and then, watching for any sign of movement in the Underworld throne chamber.

Her hellhounds had been out gathering things for her. Bits of equipment. Bits of news. Especially news. It seemed Demeter had no clue her child was even missing yet. Too bad. Well, that would change soon enough. But first, she had to be completely, totally ready, with every possible contingency planned out. And every possible bit of slanderous blackmail she could lay her claws on.

A flicker of movement inside the flame drew her attention rapt. Her chance for the ultimate video capture was about to unfold.

**- o - SEVEN - o -**

Entering the throne room, Hades finally pried Persephone loose and made her sit in his throne. She was still shaking and he began to worry that something more than alarm had occurred. He would absolutely die if she'd been wounded by Kokytus in some way. Reassuring her that he would be only mere seconds away, he dematerialized in a cloud of smoke and flame. Moments later, before she had time to think, he was back, clutching a large piece of black cloth.

"This is the best I could find. One of my chitons. A bit too big, but you can pin it or trim it however you need," he said hastily, fumbling the cloth through his fingers. He tried to speak lightly, to jostle her from her fright. "I don't really sew well, but the Fates do. I guess I could get them to fix up your chitin, but gods only know what kinda spell they'd weave into it, y'know? Ha..."

She didn't reply, but at least she'd stopped hugging herself so tightly, looking tormented beyond relief.

He continued in the same light vein. "And, hey, I borrowed some shears from the Furies, so you can cut this old thing shorter if you need to. Although maybe they could stitch up your clothes, since they make a lot of their own costumes. Then again, never mind, they have pretty weird tastes, oy. You know, I think they actually get together with the Fates every few months and hold a quilting bee._ Brrr!_ Scary stuff."

That elicited a small smile. He dropped to his knees before her then, looking into her still-troubled eyes. Putting his hand up to her face, his thumb softly stroked her cheek. He spoke with the deepest concern and feeling. "Are you gonna be okay, sweetie? What happened to you back there?"

She breathed a short sigh and began to relax under his gentle touch. "I... I'm not sure really. I snagged myself. And no, I'm not hurt. But... there was such a strange feeling to the place... I guess it just creeped me out." She lowered her eyes, as he continued caressing her face. "Sorry about that..."

He grinned with enormous relief. "Hey, Kokytus scares the crap out of even me, sometimes. It's not exactly a user-friendly environment." He started to lower his hand, then lingered to brush aside a long red tendril of hair at her temple. His heart thumped a bit more normally now. "I'm just really glad you're all right..."

They were interrupted, yet again, by a soft pseudo-voice at the window. Nyx and Erebos passing by on their way out, stopped and inquired if everything was all copacetic. Hades assured them things were fine and they departed, silently grinning to themselves.

Standing then, Hades took Persephone's hands. "Looks like Day Two had a little more excitement than necessary. Geez, you really aren't having the greatest time down here, are ya, babe?" His smile was apologetic and concerned. He sighed a little, then said, "Well, you should probably rest now. Tomorrow we'll take you home, and everything will get back to normal..."

Somehow that filled her with more dread than what had just happened. She sighed as well. "Yeah... I guess so..."

He shared her feeling, but felt he had no right to express it. Instead, he gently led her back to the stairs upward. He would think about what to do later.

**- o - EIGHT - o - **

The display Hecate had just witnessed in the Underworld was beyond belief. Some unknown mishap had occurred and the goddess had been scared even more witless than usual. But Hades came to her rescue, had been caring and tender and even a little vulnerable, practically a girl's dream.

A feeling the witch couldn't name slowly rolled over inside her chest and flopped into her belly. She couldn't name it, because she refused to scrutinize it closely enough to see whether it was utter disgust... or envy. So all she did was sneer. "Sickening," she snorted. "The way he's looking at her, you'd think he met the business end of Cupid's arrow."

Suddenly stunned by the thought, her eyes widened and she breathed, "By all the demons of hell, can it be possible? Is he actually... _falling in love with her?_"

Realization hit her with a chill of delight. It was so ideal, she couldn't have written a better script herself. The scenes and images she'd just captured with her flame could be misinterpreted in the nastiest of ways, once spliced and edited to her satisfaction. And if, as it seemed likely, Hades was falling in love, he was weaker than ever. To use that advantage was the most critical wound she could inflict.

Smiling with pure evil, she drawled, "Oh, Hades, you poor stupid sap. I couldn't have done it without you." Feeding the flame onto a second torch, she set about cutting-and-pasting the images to fit her own twisted vision, chortling to herself. "You're aces, man. Have your minions call my minions, we'll do lunch..." Then she paused, reconsidering her statement. "Never mind. You'll _be_ lunch..."

**- o - NINE - o - **

Stopping before the door to the guest bedroom, Hades handed Persephone the black chiton and the shears. But they paused, unwilling, unready to say good-night. Since tomorrow might well be goodbye.

She looked up at him with the hugest eyes, soft and vulnerable and pleading for something she was only beginning to understand she even desired. He looked down at her with hooded eyes, warm and concerned and filled with a longing to give her everything she seemed so desperately to need, but knew he didn't dare.

_No_, he whispered to himself, _too soon._ _Too young. Too innocent. Damn it all..._

Still, he took her hands again, and leaned forward. His lips gently met her forehead, pressed there for a moment, and lifted, leaving a warm spot on her skin. "Good-night, Persephone," he murmured. "Sweet dreams." And he walked away, up the hall, back the way they'd come.

She sighed, and closed her door. Unfulfilled, unsure why he didn't even try...

α

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	9. Three HundredSixty Degrees of Separation

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Demeter finally realizes her daughter is AWOL, and Persephone realizes that she and Hades are Meant To Be, and there's further sexual tension so heavy it has it's own gravity._

* * *

**CHAPTER 9 : THREE-HUNDRED-SIXTY DEGREES OF SEPARATION  
**Κυκλος η Ζω

**- o - ONE - o - **

First Harvest came and went. Demeter was exhausted. She had gone to Athens early the first morning for pre-ceremony events, then spent the following day and night for the actual celebration. But halfway through the third day, she just went home, a bit earlier than she'd really planned. She was more tired than expected, not sure if it was from the intense heat of late Summer, or because of the fact she'd recently given half her powers to Persephone. Regardless, she was in need of a rest.

Tired as she was, she struggled to maintain a polite exterior to her worshippers. Inwardly, she was already feeling cranky and out-of-sorts. She excused herself from the usual routine of blessing crops and what-have-you, in just about every little backwater town between Mandra and Parga, and made her way home into the deep night of the third day. When she reached Nysa however, she began to smile, imagining the grand time her daughter must have had with Apollo. She soon discovered things hadn't gone quite as planned.

Apollo was on the island, yet again, trying to talk to a gathering of oceanides and nereides, who merely giggled and batted their eyes at him. He was getting fairly frustrated at them, wishing he'd thought to bring Hermes along. At least the god of communication could have understood their bubbly prattling.

Demeter stepped from her flower-transport and addressed him. "Apollo, dear, is something the matter?"

Turning toward the goddess, his face etched with annoyance, he said, "Yes, your daughter stood me up. I've been back here two days in a row, prepared to offer an alternative to our original date plan. I even came back after dark, in case she didn't like the idea of so much sunlight all day long. But she's nowhere to be found. I believe she's avoiding me."

Demeter sighed and shook her head wearily. "Now, now, Apollo. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. My daughter is very reliable and honest and punctual and obedient. Everything she should be. I simply can't believe she'd do such a thing as deliberately avoid you."

"Well, she did." The lord of the lyre crossed his massive arms and all but pouted.

The goddess sighed again. "All right, well, she is a bit bashful around men, heavens know why. Perhaps she simply needs a bit of encouragement from her mother." Demeter strode to the edge of the dark grove, calling out, "Kore! Kore, where are you? Come on, dear, this has gone far enough. There's no need to be so shy! Apollo won't bite!"

_Well,_ the god thought to himself, _I might have if she'd been available._

There was no answer from within the grove. Sighing yet again, the earth goddess turned and questioned the gathered nymphs herself, as she knew their speech. But not one had seen the girl since at least the night Demeter had left the island for First Harvest. Which meant she'd been missing for three whole days.

Demeter felt annoyance creep into her brain, thinking perhaps Persephone had once again disobeyed her and snuck away from the island. She couldn't imagine a single reason why, though. However, she was tired and irritable and Apollo had been stood up. The one concession she had allowed her daughter, after much argument and aggravation, was the utter privacy within the dark grove. But now Demeter felt that privacy was forfeit, and she entered the grove, frowning.

Following the stream, she eventually came upon her daughter's favorite spot. And there she made an upsetting discovery. There was a burned and blackened pomegranate shrub, just beginning to send out fresh new buds. Nearby lay Persephone's torn and rumpled clothes. A sudden cold dread overwhelmed the crankiness inside, and Demeter caught her breath. Surely nothing had happened to her daughter... had it?

Apollo stood nearby, frowning at the scenery. He hadn't noticed before how utterly dismal the place was. The girl really needed his special brand of lightening up... But Demeter was talking to him now, so he shelved the thoughts.

"Apollo," she said somewhat frantically, "this is not at all normal. We need to call a Council meeting."

"The Council?" he blinked at her. "Is that really necessary?"

She assured him it was, and pushed him back out of the grove and into his chariot. Then they went to Mount Olympus and woke everyone up.

**- o -TWO - o -**

In the lair of the Fates, far beneath the waters of the River Styx, the three sisters were weaving more intrigue into the web that drew Hades and Persephone together. They had actually been working on it, quite casually, for almost thirty years. If Styx herself hadn't brought up an I.O.U. from the extremely distant past, they might not be pushing it along so quickly now. But when the Goddess of the Oath commanded something, even they had no choice but to obey.

Styx, although she never made it obvious, truly cared about Hades' welfare and knew that if he didn't find real happiness sometime very soon, he'd never be able to command his kingdom properly, nor would she ever be free to do her true job. She also knew how fucking stubborn and thick-headed he could be, so she'd chosen tough love to push him along the right path. Thus she had forced a bargain with the Fates, to manipulate things a bit more quickly. The Fates, though they would never admit it to anyone, also liked the dark god so they didn't really mind fulfilling Styx's desires. Besides, they had always thought it might be very entertaining to tug Hades around by the heartstrings. Although he was so strong-willed, it was usually like trying to haul up a killer whale with a piece of dental floss. Thank the heavens for Cupid's inability to resist temptation.

Now the 'Hades and Persephone Show' was becoming a hot view. It was sure more fun that watching the 'Hercules Show' lately. The hero and his wife were now expecting their first child, so things on that front had slowed down considerably, as Hercules was staying home most of the time to care for Megara, instead of out fighting monsters everyday. If only he'd been a little more clumsy as in his youth, it would have at least been a decent sitcom, but frankly it was just Dullsville at Herc Central. Here in the Underworld, however, was fresh fodder. And boy, was the chemistry steaming between the two leads.

The Fates wove the web with cackling glee. Lachesis, who decided destiny, had already selected the threads that put the gods into place. Now she directed Clotho, who wove the actual web of the present. "Okay, sister, tuck this one... there," she commanded.

"Gotcha," Clotho nodded, her fingers flying skillfully over the tapestry. "The standard _'prophetic dream sequence' _should hit her in a few moments."

Atropos, who already knew most of the outcome, just watched the action

unfolding through the Eye, which sat glowing on a small table. She chomped on something that might have been popcorn (or not), and grinned. Television was going to be a wonderful thing, once humans got around to discovering electricity. And the Underworld was about to start putting the future _Playboy Channel™_ to shame. She chortled with delight.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Persephone slept. And she dreamed.

_...home...__  
__you are home..._  
_forever..._  
_humans need you... he needs you..._  
_life and death... rebirth... connecting..._  
_belonging… missing piece..._  
_never whole without each other.._  
_eternally joined... soul mates... seeds of the soul..._  
_seeds of power reborn... seeds of life... seeds of love... true love..._  
_love... life... home..._  
_…you are home..._

She awoke with a start.

She knew. She knew what needed to be done, what the Underworld required. She knew, finally understood what the odd feelings meant, the ones she'd had since meeting Hades. She knew what she really wanted, what she should do to get it. How much it would help him. How much they both truly, deeply desired it.

Stumbling from the bed, she wrapped his long black chiton around her body. His scent clung to the cloth and she inhaled it hungrily. Days ago, she had subconsciously noticed how his skin smelled. Like freshly-turned clean earth, deep and rich and cool, with just a hint of warm tangy wood-smoke around the edge. It reached into her mind and stirred the seed of her libido, which she'd never even looked at, let alone explored at any great length. But now the seed had begun to awaken.

Her entire being was earth-based and Hades, with his sub-chthonian strength, called to her like the fateful clarion he was. He was the earth to her seed now, and she wanted to plant herself in him, feel her own power root and grow within him, taste the sweet fruit of forbidden passion...

Stroking her hands down the cloth of the chiton, over her tingling body, she thought, soon enough... Pinning up the shoulder peronés and tying on her zonen, she flew from the room and downstairs to find him.

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Demeter was absolutely livid. Zeus had flatly declined to gather the Council over what he called such a 'trivial matter'. Having grumpily come awake, after she banged insistently on his door for several minutes, he said that teens would be teens, and then predicted the girl had gone to visit friends and would either return in a couple days, or not. He patiently pointed out that Persephone was an adult already, by Olympian standards, whether or not Demeter had approved of the decree. And she was now a full-fledge goddess, to boot. Therefore, as far as he was concerned, she had every right to go wherever she liked, whenever she liked, with whomever she liked, and Demeter had no say in the matter anymore. In fact, he announced that he wouldn't be surprised if Persephone had found a boyfriend and was off enjoying his company, and good for her.

Infuriated and a little frightened, Demeter had continued to knock on every door in Olympus, demanding help in locating Persephone. The gods had one and all insisted it wasn't exactly a priority situation. Most agreed with Zeus' statements. Several had even questioned whether Demeter herself might have instigated the running away, asked if there had been any recent disagreements between them. This enraged her all the more.

Finally, when she knocked at Cloud Nine, Aphrodite merely shook her curler-encrusted head at Demeter's request for aid, tugged her fuzzy old robe around her bosom and said she needed her beauty sleep, duh, or else how could she do her own job. Demeter stormed away, her fury rising and shaking the very clouds.

Aphrodite closed the door and walked to a covered table in the corner of her home. Lifting an edge of the cloth, her cold-creamed visage glared down at a cowering Cupid, who had dashed to his mother's the minute the earth goddess started beating on doors. "Idiot!" she whispered. "_See_ what you've done? Demeter hasn't got a clue yet, but it's _pretty damned obvious_ where Persephone's gone, isn't it?"

Cupid hesitantly crawled out. He sighed. "I know... but in my own defense, when I found Hades, he was already on Nysa and the two of them were already talking long before my arrow even touched him."

This raised Aphrodite's eyebrow. "Tell me you're joking."

He shook his head fervently. Eyes twinkling, he grabbed a piece of gadgetry lying on the table, and held it before her eyes. "And just check out how high on the _Er-O-Meter™_ they were both scoring when I got there..."

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Hades sat by the pool again, smoking a cigar to help himself relax. He'd been finding himself around Lethe a lot lately, and sometimes he wondered if taking a dip just to clear his head, so to speak, might be a good idea. Probably should've done it years ago. He also hadn't slept in a few days, not that he did very often. He was no nine-to-fiver, and the hours he usually kept even exhausted the imps. Now he stared into midair, puffing slowly and thoughtfully on the stogie, blowing smoke-skulls, and engaging in the inner dialogue from hell.

What was it about Persephone? Why was he like a school kid with a crush, since he'd first laid eyes on her? Why did his heart flutter like a drunken hummingbird whenever she so much as breathed near him, let alone touched him? What made him think he had even the slightest snowflake's chance in Tartarus that she could ever begin to feel anything like that about him? And why should he be praying to some nameless force of the cosmos that she might? He was being a yutz, plain and simple. But he couldn't stop thinking about her.

She was unbelievably beautiful, that much was beyond obvious. That alone could account for half the attraction. And she was kind and gentle, two things he'd had very little of in his life for too many centuries. That, too, was bound to appeal.

She was also very enjoyable company, and it had been far too long since he'd had that. Well, okay, there had been those few months Megara was in his employ, but that didn't really count as company (though there had been _some _enjoyment). Still, even if it had been a mere human it had kind of spoiled him, having a female, an actual breathing female, around from day to day, for the first time in seven centuries. He didn't particularly miss Meg herself, but he missed the feminine presence, the softness and beauty of a woman. In fact, he was starting to crave it...

And of course the Fates had chosen Persephone for something, something important, involving both himself and the Underworld. He suspected he might wind up either enjoying it or getting hurt by it, but either way he didn't like how they manipulated him, especially now that he'd realized the extent of what they'd done to him in the past. Though most of the past was his own fault, through bad choices or bad management (or bad temper), he much preferred to blame them. Still... fate had dealt him worse hands than this young goddess.

None of these things could explain adequately the intensity and strength of what he felt underneath it. The sense of rightness, the gentle ache of longing, the burning appetite, how much he wanted to express it all to her... There was still more. He couldn't put his finger on it. Or, more accurately, he wouldn't. He refused to act on it. He couldn't, just _couldn't_ trust it enough to open himself up again, not after losing Leuke. It was too painful, and he didn't like pain, not when it was inflicted upon himself.

Yet when he thought of Persephone... He could felt the bindings around his heart softening dangerously. Damn it, no, he had to stop thinking about her. She was a complete innocent. And young, oh boy, let's not forget how young. Jailbait young.

To distract himself from such thoughts, he turned instead to concentrating on the cigar. It was a marvelous invention, for humans to have come up with, and he enjoyed the slightly-sweet-slightly-tangy smoke. Mind wandering now, he recalled that Eris had first introduced him to this particular vice (and a few others, besides). The cigar was also a comforting, very tangible thing, in his land of shadows. He enjoyed it, drew a kind of contentment from such a simple indulgence. Smiling, a bit more relaxed within himself, he gripped the cigar with his fingertips and rolled it pleasantly around inside the edge of his lips, releasing the flavor. A lovely sensual feeling. _Though not as lovely as having Persephone's sweet, soft lips wrapped around his co-_

Pulling the cigar from his mouth, he quickly stubbed it out on the arm of his chair, eyes wide and unblinking. Where the hell did his brain think it was going with _that_ idea? Well, someplace very nice no doubt, but Persephone was strictly a forbidden zone, a big no-no, hands-off. _But, why? Because of Olympian rules?_, a small voice inside seemed to ask. _Some rules are meant to be broken..._

Before he could address that statement, he heard her voice calling his name. He turned toward the palace and saw her sprinting across the way toward him. Briefly, he noticed she looked nice in black. It made her look older, for one thing. Older was good. He rose to meet her, curious at her breathless excitement, then worried it wasn't excitement but trouble.

"What's up, babe? You feeling okay?" She nodded and caught his hands in her own, smiling brightly. Her breathing slowed gradually, her bosom heaving most delightfully under the black cloth. The way she'd draped it, a lot more cleavage was showing now. He lifted his eyes and sighed slightly. Why were the Fates torturing him like this? What had he ever done to them?

Finally she spoke. "I've _got_ it. I _dreamed _it. I know what's _wrong with everything!_ Human souls are _completely skipping a step _in the cycle of nature!"

"Uh...," he intoned, one eyebrow raised in confusion, "what are you talking about?"

"Here, I'll show you." Releasing his hands, she reached to the peroné at her right shoulder and flipped open a small lid, and took something from inside. A handful of seeds. "I always keep a few on me. Nature goddess habit, y'know," she explained with a little grin.

So that was what she'd thrown at the dead hero in the Elysian Fields. He blinked and smiled, bemused. Interesting choice of weapon.

Now she selected a tiny flower bulb, and returned the rest to the clasp. Holding it in her left palm, she said, "I think a human soul may be a lot like a seed. It seems lifeless, but it's only sleeping." Her golden aura illuminating, she put her right hand above the left, motioning, and the seed began to demonstrate her words.

"It sprouts... then grows..." The bulb wriggled into life, thrusting up a healthy green shoot, separating into long thin leaves. "It blossoms into life..." Multiple buds formed, blooming into fragrant narcissus, ironically the same type of flower he'd given her earlier. "Then in time, it wilts and fades... and inexorably it dies..." And the plant did just that.

"Just like humans," she said, looking meaningfully at him as she continued. "But in nature, death isn't truly permanent. There's something still there, some spirit of life, like a soul in a way. So next Spring… the seed sprouts again... in a never-ending cycle..." The narcissus rose up from the dead and was reborn in her hand, lived and died, returning to its original form as a bulb. She gently replaced it to her clasp.

Hades had watched her excitement, and smiled at it. He understood she had come to realize what was wrong within his kingdom, and had rushed down to share the revelation. Although she was exactly right, and it impressed him greatly, he sighed. Then he spoke with resignation, "My dear, I wish it were possible. To recycle the souls, let them return to live a new life, would be a perfect solution to the overcrowding. Unfortunately," he sighed again. "I can't do it. I don't have the powers to do it." He held up his hands, looking disdainfully at the open palms. "My powers are death and degeneration, not life or renewal. I can't do a damned thing."

"What about me?" she asked hopefully. "My powers are nothing but new life. Perhaps... it's me that's supposed to do it?"

He shook his head sadly. "I wish it were so. But the nature of my kingdom, just like those of my brothers, is that no one but the ruler can use their powers to transform the realm itself. That's why I had to resort to using the Titans against Olympus, because they were so ancient they were beyond the rules we all set down." He sighed once more, regretfully. "There's no changing the rules on this one, babe, but I really wish there was some way..."

Persephone approached then, placing her own hands down over his still-outstretched palms, fingertips softly grazing his skin. She gazed at his face with deep feeling, potent with meaning. "But life and death are eternally joined," she murmured, "they are meant to walk hand-in-hand..."

Hades looked at their hands, his tingling beneath hers. Then lifted his eyes to hers and fell headlong, without a breath of air to save him, into the deep pool he saw there. She couldn't possibly mean what it sounded like. She was... just talking about the cycle of nature, not... them.

Catching his breath at last, resurfacing from the unknowable fathoms of his own heart, he removed his hands and turned away. "I wish I could make such

changes," he said. "The Underworld really needs a new system of management. A way to judge souls on arrival, as good or bad... proper places for them to stay... a chance to be born again, for those who are ready..." Half-aside, he added as if to himself, about himself, "A fresh start..." Shoving his thoughts and composure back on track, he turned around again and swept a hand toward the pool. "And hey, even a quick dip in Lethe before they left, and they'd completely forget their Underworld experience."

"Lethe?" she queried, looking toward the pool they'd spent the last couple of days around.

"The Pool of Forgetfulness," he nodded. "Touch or drink the water, and you can't even remember your own name. And yes, I know from experience." He grinned at her inquiring look. "If not for Mnemosyne to reverse it, I'd still be wandering around lost."

Persephone snickered. "Wish I could use it on my mother. Make her forget I ever existed."

Hades raised his eyebrows. "Little excessive, isn't it?"

"Well, maybe. But sometimes I wish I was any anything but her daughter." She sighed with deep expression. "The last few years I've... I don't know, felt like there's... something more I need to be doing, someplace else I should be... And I think maybe I've found... the place where I can learn, to be what I'm meant to be." She smiled up at him then, hopeful and willing.

"Here...," he said quietly. With me, he thought in his heart.

"That is, if you'll let me stay a while longer," she lowered her eyes then. "I want to learn all about the Underworld and I want to help you, as I said before. Maybe I can come up with more workable ideas. I don't know what else I can do, what more I could offer except... uh, moral support, but..." She paused. There was, of course, more to it but she couldn't say it yet, not until she found the right moment. He was much older than herself, and she knew she was too young to be considering the things foremost on her mind. And he knew it too. She realized now, that was why he'd held back all along, why he'd been a perfect gentleman even though he clearly desired her every bit as much. It made her long for him even more. She no longer cared about such trivialities as age. Fate had brought them together. She'd always had this powerful feeling about him, since she'd first seen him, when she was a mere child of ten years. Then, she had been too young, confused about her feelings. But now... Perhaps giving in to fate, on all levels, was the only way they would both ever feel truly at peace with it.

But even knowing it, wanting it so much, she had never expressed such things before, and so she grew shy. She couldn't just blurt out, Hades, I want to get naked with you... So she lifted her eyes to his and said, "Hades, I want to be here."

He shook his head gently. She was eager to stay in the realm of the dead, just to escape her mother? That was pretty desperate. Still, the thought of having her here on a daily basis, for however long, thrilled him at depths he hadn't reached in centuries. He cleared his throat. "Demeter will come looking for you in time, you know."

Persephone sighed. "Yes, I know..."

"And she truly hates my guts," he continued, "actually she really doesn't like most men, especially in my family."

"I know," she frowned. "And I never understood why."

He chuckled. "I could tell you, but I'm not sure you'd like it."

Her eyes widened, sensing gossip about her mother. "Oh, please, tell me!"

Grinning, he told her. "Well, she and Zeus dated long ago. But he dumped her for Hera, her own sister. Then she had a short fling with Poseidon. And he ended it to marry Amphitrite. You see the pattern emerging here."

"Oh, my!" she laughed. "She must have thought you were exactly the same sort of shallow cad, and judged you without benefit of trial."

"Bingo. You catch on fast."

"Geez, I just don't understand her," Persephone shook her head. "She prevented me from being around men for so long, I guess because of her own experiences, not trusting them. But why then, why did she suddenly get it in her head to pair me up with Apollo?"

"He's been a friend of your mother's for a long time, but she's utterly blind and deaf to what he's really like," Hades said, his expression darkening briefly. "Anyway, she's decided everything else for you, why not this too? She trusts his lies, or she wouldn't have chosen him either. Believe me, if she's trying to maintain her image of you, there's probably not a god alive who would fit her requisites." He chuckled lightly then. "Suffice it to say, she certainly despises me, so you know very well she will not approve of you being here."

"I know. But things are so changed for me. These last few years, I feel so... different. I'm not sure why," Persephone sighed, lowering her eyes. "I've gotten so frustrated with my life, and the way everyone expects me to behave, that I just fake it anymore. No one seems to see what I am inside. But I feel... I can show you the real me, and you won't tell me to be anything else." She smiled shyly up at him then, and the soft bittersweet smile he returned said he felt the same way. Now she continued more certainly. "I honestly feel old enough to make my own decisions. Though I didn't have the guts to force the issue, until I met you. But now... Mother will just have to learn to deal with it, won't she?" She smiled widely, proud of making the first step in her bid for independence. "I'm really not a little girl, and I'm ready to face the challenge. So bring it on." She giggled, feeling silly but sure.

He smiled too. These were things he could sense about her, even though he wouldn't act upon them, simply couldn't allow himself to. But he could still play... Eyes half-closed, his smile became slightly diabolical. "Well, Seph, since you wanna sign on, I gotta warn you... I'm no easy taskmaster. I crack the whip around here."

She raised an eyebrow at him. So that's the way he wanted it. Well, she could play too. "Oh, really? And what makes you think I'll bow down to your orders?" She raised her chin, mock-defiant, grinning. "I am a goddess, after all, not a minion. You can't ride me."

Hades grinned hugely and gave in, unable to resist his own temptation any longer. This was a give-and-take, push-and-shove verbal game he hadn't played for way too long. "Hoh-hoh... Rough and ready, are ya?" he purred at her heatedly, "Well, I'll just go get my spurs..."

She blushed then, biting her lower lip. It was out of her depth to think of a suitable response to that one. And the timbre of his voice, the heat in his eyes, made her breathless. Her eyes dashed downward, and she inhaled sharply. The mental image of such an idea as he'd presented made her body tingle. "Uh... heh," she chuckled nervously.

Rolling his eyes, he backed off. All right, enough of that for now. Especially since his own thoughts were causing physical reactions he needed to avoid with her around.

"Seriously though," he said, changing the subject and his tone of voice to casual, "I do need your kind of spunk, if I'm gonna rearrange this whole place. But first things first." He stretched out an arm and put his hand on the small of her back, where it unfortunately distracted both of them. He guided her toward the palace again. "Come on, my little goddess... Let's call a meeting of the minds, and start this thing off right."

**- o - SIX - o - **

Throughout the remainder of the day, Demeter made further attempts to convince the gods she needed their help, and had been continuously refused. In frustration, she lashed out like nothing they had ever seen before. Shocked at her actions, Zeus requested she leave until she had a grip on herself.

She departed Olympus to search for her daughter alone. She was determined to leave no corner unexamined, no stone unturned... and heavens help anyone who got in her way...

The day ended, the morning arose. It had now been a total of four days since Persephone had disappeared...

η

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	10. Afterlife, the Underworld & Everything

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades convenes a task force, Persephone discovers an important new power, and the imps laugh themselves sick over Hades' dinner-and-a-(not)-movie date plans. (contains singing)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10 : AFTERLIFE, THE UNDERWORLD & EVERYTHING  
**Παντα και Περισς

**- o - ONE - o -**

Hades called up an elite task force to handle the duties of rebuilding the Underworld. Well, it wasn't that elite. It was basically whomever he could cobble together. It consisted of himself, Persephone, Pain and Panic, the Furies, Nyx and Erebos and, on a spur of the moment decision, the two dead kings, Aiakos and Rhadamanthys. They gathered in a room adjoining the throne chamber, one which he had equipped with a long table and several chairs, converting it into a conference area.

It was Persephone's first sight of the Furies, and she was amazed yet again. Hades had created them to help him torture human souls inside Pyriphlegethon, and they were pretty frightening to look at. Identical triplets, with corpselike white skin and bloody red eyes. Their hair, too, was the color of fresh wet blood, and coiled and writhed almost snakelike on their heads. Each had huge bat wings of a translucent grayish hue. But their costumes were the most alarming, like nothing she'd ever seen. One wore leather and metal spikes everywhere, a scourge in hand. A second wore a peculiar officer's uniform with spit-shined boots and jaunty cap, twirling a branding iron. And the last, oddest of all, wore a long black robe with head and neck covered by a white cowl, gripping a long sharp-edged measuring stick. For some reason, the outfits were more frightening than the creatures who wore them. Especially since they sat around, giggling to each other like perfectly ordinary schoolgirls, instead of demonic beasts.

Everyone got settled into their chairs, and Hades cleared his throat to get the group's attention. He stood at the head of the table, arms behind his back. A huge map hung behind him on the wall, a complete layout of his kingdom.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and indefinable others... I've asked you all here for your invaluable input," he began. "It's come to my attention, most vividly, that the Underworld is suffering as much as the souls that reside here. And that is something I no longer want. It is within my power to change many things here, and I do have a working plan for most of that, but I need further aid. That's where you all come in."

He approached the map, taking up a pointer and indicating the purple river circling the entire kingdom. "_Styx_, as we know, is giving up the ghosts. Ha," he chuckled, and at least seven or eight groans followed his pun. "That is her prerogative, whether I like it or not. And I don't, especially. According to my faithful minions, there are now at least a gazillion souls wandering aimlessly around the Underworld." He angled his eyes toward Pain and Panic who grinned hugely, pleased as punch that he'd called them _'faithful'_.

"Although this is a gross exaggeration of numbers," he continued, "the fact remains there are far too many of them. They're all dressed up, no place to go. While _Acheron_," he pointed to the black river, the second largest, "has long been a favorite dumping ground, I don't wish to use it any more than necessary. Plus, let's face it, there are far, faaar more souls coming out of Styx than will fit in Acheron and Pyriphlegethon combined. And I absolutely refuse to give the Vortex more fuel to feed its fire."

He looked toward the Furies. "Alykto, Tisiphone, and Megeara, you three will begin pulling souls out of the _Vortex_," he tapped the proper body of water on the map, "as soon as possible. Most of them don't belong there. Sorry, girls." The three huffed indignantly and pouted. They rather enjoyed their jobs. When they went on sulking, loudly, Hades sighed and announced, "All right, all right. As soon as you finish this task for me, you can all go on a shopping spree with Eris, okay?" At this, they squealed with delight and batted their eyes engagingly at him. "And no, you cannot have my credit cards. If you didn't save up your allowances, that's tough luck, babes." They promptly went back to pouting, but not quite as noisily, because now Hades ignored them.

Instead, he looked toward the dead kings. "Aiakos and Rhadamanthys. I'm doing something here that I never thought I would. I'm asking humans for help." He smiled at them, and with greatest dignity they bowed their heads and smiled back. "You are not my minions to command, but I'd like to negotiate a deal. Would you be interested in a permanent full-time job, judging incoming souls? I'll throw in a benefits package, vacation, sick leave... oh, wait you won't be needing _that_. Ha! But, hey, we'll even dig up a third guy, kinda get the old Grecian democratic ideal thing going, whaddaya say?"

The kings looked at each other. They really did miss having some command over their fellow humans, and frankly eternity was getting boring. They smiled again. Aiakos replied, "My Lord, we are flattered that you would consider us for such an esteemed position. I, for one, accept."

His companion nodded also. "As do I. For a third judge... well, I do have a brother lying around someplace who might fit the bill," Rhadamanthys mused, tugging his beard. "Haven't seen him as of yet."

"Probably floating in Acheron. Which is the next step," Hades assured the king. Then he turned back to his imps. "Pain and Panic, you two are in charge of that. Take the Furies' extra nets and start sweeping the river. Everyone comes out."

The imps' eyes bulged nearly out of the sockets. _"All of them?"_ Panic squawked. "We can't do it all by ourselves!"

Pain nodded vigorously in agreement. "We have our limits, your Presumptuousness. We're gonna need _help_!"

Hades knew it was true, and sighed again. "Unfortunately, Styx has given us a strict deadline and we're counting down to doomsday as we speak. I could make more demons to assist you, but that takes time we don't have. Now you two don't remember your early days, but you were little more than helpless, brainless infants the first few weeks..." He looked back at them, skeptically. "...Eh, never mind, you're the same as always."

Nyx and Erebos consulted silently with each other. Then Erebos spoke, carefully so that he didn't affect Persephone, who was not yet immune to their speech. _Perhaps you should call in already-formed demons to aid you... There are many contracted out to sorcerers, called up to do their bidding in ways that are not necessarily enjoyable… I know of several lamiae who would gladly trade in their current masters for a chance to serve their ultimate master... _

Nodding, Nyx continued the thought. _A demon's life force comes from a pool of energy that is natural only to your kingdom, drawn forth by the will of the magician... That person's life is what sustains them. So demons die when their mortal masters die... But if they were contracted to a god, they would have a sort of immortality... I'm sure that alone would persuade them to join up. All their contracts are forfeit to you anyway, should you choose... _

Hades was impressed with the logic. "Very good. I'd appreciate it if the two of you could get in touch with these lamiae for me, see what their thoughts are on returning to the Underworld. I'll draw up new contracts for you to take to them, sometime in the next couple days. Thanks." He smiled at his great-aunt and -uncle.

"Now," he continued, moving the pointer to a huge bright gold spot on the map, "the _Elysian Fields_. This is the one area I cannot affect, or I would have done so long ago. Persephone, however, has been able to enter the Fields. So this area falls to her." He turned toward the goddess, a soft smile on his face. "Since we don't know why only heroes have entered so far, I'd like you to see if other types of souls can get through the gate. Maybe we can sublet part of the Fields or something. I'm sure you can convince the heroes to cooperate with you." He grinned, remembering how she'd handled the rude dead guy earlier. "Other than that, I'll leave it up to you to think of anything else that needs doing in there."

Panic, occasionally eyeing the goddess sourly, wondering why in the world she was still even here, frowned at this announcement. _Why was the Boss giving her a job too, and a cushy one at that? Since when was she part of the team?_

Hades, eyes still focused solely on a shyly smiling Persephone, was unaware that his own expression softened to true tenderness. He continued, "If it wasn't for you, Seph, I wouldn't have had the inspiration to start this whole project..."

Several eyes glanced toward each other around the long table, and knowing smiles teased at the corners of several lips. _Mm-hmm... So _that's_ what was going on..._

However, Panic clenched his jaw with anger. This girl was trying to get to the Boss with her pretty face and seemingly innocent demeanor! He wished the Boss would wake up and see what a gold digger she was. She was no good for him, that much was obvious. Since she'd arrived, Hades had only gotten worse. He was quiet and thoughtful, and hadn't raised his voice even once, nor threatened to incinerate them for their bumbling failures. And they were certainly as pathetic as ever, so he should have been furious with them. But _noooo_, they just smiled at each other, looking like they were in _love_...

Panic panicked. He refused to believe it! Hades wasn't capable of it... _Was he?_ And even if by some miracle he was, somebody that perfect couldn't love him too... _Could she?_

Hades was just about to adjourn the meeting, when Rhadamanthys spoke up. "My Lord, I approve of all you have planned but I'm afraid it's still not enough. You can remove souls from the rivers and try to put them in the Elysian Fields, but all that will accomplish is rearranging the overstock."

Aiakos added, "Indeed, it appears you don't have enough room for such countless multitudes, without making use of the rivers. And you've vetoed that option."

"Yes, and I plan to keep it that way," Hades said. "We'll just have to figure out other options. Any ideas you all may have for improvement or renovation, new methods for soul containment, whatever, are appreciated. I will do my best to accommodate anything that seems reasonable." Then he looked toward the young goddess again, smiling softly. "We, Persephone and I, know what really needs to be done, though we haven't quite hammered out the details of how to accomplish it. But I'm sure inspiration will strike us soon."

Aiakos smiled and nodded. "Of course, my Lord. If this much change can be wrought merely by the presence of such loveliness, then I'm sure putting your... _heads_ together will bring about the final answers to the conundrum."

Hades raised an eyebrow. What did he think he was getting at? "Okay, all right, enough chit-chat people. Let's all get to work."

**- o -TWO - o -**

The Fates in their lair chortled over how pathetically obvious the two gods were becoming, and how the leading man still fought his feelings. Well, they would sure put a crimp in his chiton, very shortly.

Atropos held what looked like nothing more than a _'cat's cradle'_ between her bony fingers. Lachesis nudged a few more strands into place in the small web, and Clotho wove them together skillfully. Then all three sat back and watched the action.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Persephone wondered what to do about Hades. She was pretty darn sure of her feelings for him now, knew that she desired more with him, and that she truly cared for him. It was something she'd never experienced, but it was so strong she had no doubts about it at all. And she was sure he felt something for her as well. But still he held back. How could she get him to face it, to express it?

The others had gone to attend to their individual tasks, as best they could. Hades was supervising the Furies at the moment, considering the suffering of those in Pyriphlegethon to be the most important issue, in need of immediate resolution. He had told Persephone that he trusted her to do wonderfully on her own. What a pleasant feeling, being allowed freedom to roam and do as she pleased. Very different from being in her mother's domain.

Smiling to herself, but still contemplating the riddle of their mutual emotions, she reached the Elysian Fields. At the gateway, at the force-field that barred the way for everyone but herself and dead heroes, she stepped easily through. This time however, she noticed something she hadn't before. The first time, she had fallen through in surprise and had only been aware of trying to break her fall. But now she felt a tingling. Curious, she put her hand back into the field. Yes, there was definitely something, some kind of tangible energy.

Stepping completely inside the golden-white light, she felt it radiating over her skin, warm and cool at once. It felt familiar... like the sensation that came over her whenever she used her powers of creation. Unhesitating, she closed her eyes and let the tingling pass over her skin... and then slowly inside... It flowed, pulsing, into her body. She began to shake, though she barely noticed. Inhaling deeply, she deliberately drew upon the power. And suddenly it burst inward.

_and her soul was filled with the brightness...__  
__blinding her inner eyes... caressing her skin from within..._  
_sinking into her bones with a fiery brilliance greater than the sun, the stars, all the light in the universe..._  
_Life... Love... Home..._  
_She knew everything..._

She gasped and staggered, falling to her knees. Opening her eyes, she saw that her aura was paler, the same white-gold as the force-field, making her skin seem lighter as well. The spot where she sat had become true living grass, just like before. Raising her eyes, she saw the most incredible sight of all. The force-field had become transparent, like a dome of pure water. The golden-white light within it... she had absorbed into herself.

Rising, she took a step. Flowers sprang from beneath her feet. She took another step. More flowers. Laughing softly, she ran across the field, leaving a wake of fresh living things in her path. And the Elysian Fields bloomed into glorious, radiant life.

The dead heroes who saw her, quickly got out of her way.

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Half a day passed, and Hades kindly declared a work break for all. Then he went down to the Lethe Pool for a tall cool glass of nectar. Things were progressing well enough, though he still hadn't a clue how to handle the souls after they were separated and catalogued. He imagined he'd wind up having to do exactly what he'd jokingly declared to Styx, and build condos. At least some kind of subsidized housing or something.

The irony of his current plans was not lost on him. He was finally focusing on his kingdom, just his alone. Days ago, the strange dark witch Hecate had suggested he do just that, though her ideals of quintessential evil were a bit much for him anymore. He'd lost his taste for the bitterness of vengeance, and now that he'd had a sample of something else, he found he had a bit of a sweet tooth after all. Another was guiding him now, toward the same goal, following a brighter path that promised to lead the entire Underworld somewhere he'd never imagined. The fact that two such diverse sources, in such a short time, could propose such similar advice... had to be the work of the Fates. Annoying as their machinations were, he had to admit they were right. He was glad, however, that he'd picked Persephone as his partner for this venture.

Thinking about her, he closed his eyes and sighed. How he wished she were older, more experienced and worldly, less pure and innocent. How he wished he could get over this pathetic feeling that she was too sacred for his foul hand to touch. And the thought of touching her was preying on his mind almost constantly. (Actually, it was more like a trio of karmic old buzzards waiting to swoop down on him, the minute his mind tried moving in another direction.) Looking at her was nearly as personal as a touch now, his eyes taking the place of his fingertips. He knew, from the few instances he'd connected with her skin, just how heavenly soft she was. And her scent was divine, like wildflowers and pure water, fresh air and sunshine. Normally not things he liked, but on her it became addictive. His nose had brushed her hair as he'd kissed her forehead last night. It was soft and fragrant, like a sweet pillow to bury his face in forever. Everything about her seemed soft and supple, except her mind. And that was as sharp and steel-hard as his own... uh, mind...

Opening his eyes, sipping his drink, he wondered if he should have included more ice because he was definitely gonna need some down his chiton if this train of thought continued. Damn, she was distracting. But in such a good way.

Before he could decide whether to pour the drink in his lap, the distraction herself came toward him. Smiling softly, carrying the narcissus he'd given her days ago, which she'd retrieved from the Elysian Fields. She was glowing brightly, brighter than before it seemed, but that could have been his imagination.

He swallowed the mouthful of cool liquid quickly before he choked on it, and said with a smile, "Hey, babe, how's it going? I was hoping you'd drop by. Everyone's on break for a while. Here, sit down, have a drink." He waved toward the chair next to his, and poured her a glassful from the pitcher he'd brought along.

She sat and drank, still smiling silently. Her gaze was faraway for a moment, as she idly sniffed the immortal flower, then she returned and focused upon him. The lambent blue glow in her eyes was like a lagoon of the purest water, and it made his heart swell like a blazing tidal wave. Eventually she spoke. "Hades, I want to thank you for letting me stay here. It's been the most incredible experience of my life... And I know my mother is probably going nuts right now..."

He held his breath, anxious. Was she getting ready to say goodbye? He wished he had the right to insist she stay.

"...But I don't care," she continued, and smiled at him broadly. "I'm not leaving until we finish this date properly."

He blinked, somewhat blankly at first. Then his mind kick-started again and the words made it from his disbelieving ears up to his brain. "Date," he said flatly. "Finish this date?" Now that the thought had finally gone from his mind to his mouth, he couldn't stop repeating himself for some inane reason. "A date. You're considering this a date?"

Smiling still, she nodded. "Well, I know it's a bit unorthodox, dragging it on for almost four days. And I'm not exactly the world's expert on the subject, but I always thought a date was about spending time with someone you really like, going someplace interesting, holding hands, maybe a nice dinner for two... So far, to me, this has been perfect."

"A date?" he continued unabated, every word halfway between statement and query. "You seriously want to call this a date. Like a date-date? An honest-to-whoever date. With me?"

Reaching out to tap him on the nose with the flower, she teased, "You sound like you're objecting to the idea."

"No! No! Absolutely not!" he hastened to assure her. Holy moly, she liked him! She was interested in him! She wanted to date him! HIM! His stupid brain finally grabbed his tongue and snapped it into shape, making him say what he needed to, though he nearly choked on the rest of his words. "I would love to consider it a date! Gladly!"

"Well, then," she continued, a pleased smile at the corners of her lips, "all we're missing is the final component to make it official."

His brain spun backward, trying to recall what that was. Oh, yeah. Food. "I've got it!" he snapped his fingers triumphantly, "a picnic by the pool! Wait here, five minutes, you'll have a meal fit for a goddess! Which is, of course, what you are and what you deserve... Eh, I'll be right back." Sputtering like a fool, he dissolved into smoke and vanished.

She voiced with tender amusement, "Hmm, he's kinda cute when he's flustered." And he was bound to be even more amazed when she showed him what she'd done to the Fields. Rubbing the flower petals against her cheek, then trailing it slowly down her neck and over her pulsing breast, she sighed happily. Soon, she felt sure, he would face his feelings and 'fess up to them.

**- o - FIVE - o - **

In hell's kitchen (yes, literally) Pain and Panic were making the most of their break. They perched on a countertop, rummaging noisily through the shelves. Pain produced various boxes and vases with painted labels, seeking Panic's approval for their snack.

At the dining table, Aiakos and Rhadamanthys sat playing a card game they'd just invented, to relax on their break. Since they didn't need food, mental stimulation fed them just fine. Aiakos sighed and smiled, picking up a card. "Isn't it grand to have something useful to do in the Afterlife? Aiding a god, truly it's an honor."

"Indeed," his friend nodded. "And as soon as we locate my brother Minos, things will progress more smoothly." He then slapped a card down on the table, declaring with a grin, "Go fish."

Meanwhile, across the room, Pain held up a container and read the label to Panic. "Eye of Newt?"

"Nah," Panic droned.

Pain replaced it and grabbed another. "Toe of Frog?"

"Boring," was the drawling response.

"Wool of Bat?"

"Had it yesterday."

"Tongue of Dog?"

"Aw, forget it, there's never anything good to eat," Panic groused. He wasn't happy all around, and now it seemed every petty little trouble irked him further.

Pain was getting tired of listening to him, and almost ready to tell him to find his own damned snack and then shove it, when he suddenly located something odd. "Hey, what's this one? The label's gone." He popped open the top, and a slimy tentacle crept out. He popped the top closed again hurriedly, shoving the container far back into the recesses of the shelf.

"Past the expiration date," Panic declared.

"Ah! Look at this!" Pain held up a strange cylinder of metal. "Spaghetti-Omegas? Bleeeech!"

Panic's face twisted in disgust. "Ew! Who'd ever eat those? Gross!"

Just as the offending item was being stowed away, Hades appeared in their midst in a cloud of smoke. Pain and Panic jumped in alarm, clinging to the counter.

"Boss!" Panic simpered, "We're weren't getting crumbs on the floor!"

"Yeah, we were eating over the sink," Pain nodded vigorously, "like respectable bachelors!"

Hades paid them no heed, merely murmured, "That's nice," and began to hum a little tune. He tied on his favorite apron, with the slogan 'Kill the Cook' (so tasteful and witty) on the front. Spotting the dead kings at the table, he cheerily greeted them. "Aiaky! Rhad-man! What's shakin', bro's?"

The kings arched their brows at one another, smirking privately. Well, wasn't he jaunty all of a sudden? Interesting...

Hades searched the shelves above Pain's head, talking to himself, "Let's see what we got here..." All the atrocities the imps loved, he kept almost strictly for their use. Only occasionally did he indulge in those, mostly out of curiosity or boredom. Not for his guest those nasty imp-treats, though. Still, he was a god, and therefore his true source of sustenance would always be...

"Ah," he declared, "Instant Ambrosia, just add water and bake." Okay, so he usually added a few fresh ingredients. He was actually a bit of a chef, having had so many centuries alone to hone his culinary skills. Using a decent packaged food didn't detract from the final product. He snapped his fingers and manifested a bowl, water and spoon out of thin air, and set it to work, stirring up the mixture by itself. Then he returned to the shelves, locating other items and tossing them into the bowl. At last he searched the highest shelves, muttering, "Now where'd I hide that bottle of spiced nectar I was saving for a special occasion...? Been here for about three centuries, so it should be nice and smooth..."

Pain and Panic watched this display curiously. They'd never seen anything like it, and weren't sure if it was better or worse than his recent attitude. It was both amusing and unsettling. "Uh, what's going on," Pain inquired, "your Improbable Sanguinity?"

Panic added with an eye roll, "Yeah, you'd almost think you had a date, or something."

Still humming, Hades located the nectar and a picnic basket, wrapped the ambrosia mixture in phyllo, then put it in a pan and lit a flame underneath to cook it. He responded to the imps' statements with a pleasantly distracted smile. "I do, actually."

For about half a second, a pin dropping on the floor would have sounded like a cannon going off. Then the imps literally fell off the counter, laughing until they nearly threw up.

Hades flared at the insulting behavior. "What's so goddamned funny about that?"

Wiping tears from his eyes, Pain snickered, "We just can't imagine anyone wanting to date you!"

Flaming now, Hades flexed and un-flexed his rigid fingers. "Well, I am on a date! With Persephone, as if you didn't damn well know that!"

Panic seethed inside, but he smirked outside. "Yeah, right. As if!"

Even Pain, who thought Persephone was gorgeous and didn't mind her presence the way his partner did, was giggling at the idea. "C'mon, ya gotta admit, it's pretty funny!"

"Did you tie her up in magic chains to get her to agree to a date?" Panic inquired almost innocently, though his grin was arch and bitter.

"Yeah, or maybe she signed a contract in blood?" Pain chortled, joining in the fun.

Hades was completely aflame now, bristling and crackling, and clutching a frying pan like the deadly blunt weapon it was about to become if they didn't shut-the-fucking-hell-up. He spoke through teeth so clenched they'd nearly fused together. "WHY... should it be SO HARD to accept... that a beautiful young GODDESS... would WANT... to DATE... ME?"

Delighted that he'd gotten a rise out of the Boss for the first time in weeks, Panic decided to go for the gold. He snorted derisively, "Oh, puh-leeze! Just think about! Do we have to spell it out?" And then he did, bursting into song.

_It's a weird combination__  
__I can't see it at all_  
_She looks just like an angel_  
_who's not ready to fall_

Panic morphed himself to wear an angel's robe, halo and innocent face. Catching the rhythm, Pain joined in the amusement, morphing to replicate Hades' clothes and hair.

_You're the devil himself__  
__a real piece of work_  
_How could she be attracted_  
_to such a primo jerk?_

Quickly, they changed to resemble a freakish Dali-esque painting, and (ironically) a chubby cherub aiming a flaming arrow straight at Hades, who swatted it aside with annoyance.

_It's a study in opposites__  
__a surreal work of art_  
_Did you think fire and brimstone_  
_were the way to her heart?_  
_It's the villain and the ingénue_  
_a match made in... well, here_  
_A nightmare vs. a dream-come-true_  
_never in a million years_

They had by then taken the form of the classic wide-eyed girl and dark man in cape and curling mustache. And then became like paintings again, a pale twisted screaming face and Aphrodite on the half-shell. After that, they morphed steadily to the beat, becoming storybook characters they sang of.

_The very idea is like some__  
__fairy tale gone awry_  
_the Big Bad Wolf puts a twinkle_  
_in Red Riding Hood's eye_  
_the Miller's Daughter and Rumpelstilskin_  
_spinning golden hours alone_  
_Goldilocks packs up and moves in_  
_to the Three Bears home_

_Good and evil, light and dark__  
__they say opposites attract_  
_but if you think the feeling's mutual_  
_we know you're really whacked!_

Hades had listened, livid at first, then gradually seeing the reasoning they presented. Persephone was kind and sweet, and she probably was only being nice, to thank him for taking her away from her mother and an unwanted date with Apollo. All his self-doubt and fears resurfaced with a vengeance. He hung his head, continuing the refrain in a sonorous tone.

_You're right, it's insane__  
__how could I stand a chance_  
_the Lord of the Dead_  
_wasn't meant for romance_  
_Opposites can attract_  
_but this example's extreme_  
_how could such a perfect goddess_  
_feel anything for me_

Hades turned away from the others in the room, feeling deeply sorry for himself...  
...Persephone waited by Lethe, smiling and sure of her feelings. And finally able to put them into her own words...

_There's something about him__  
__that compels me to his side_  
_some mystical attraction_  
_some little voice inside_  
_Some magnetic force_  
_like we're meant to be joined_  
_like we're just two sides_  
_of the very same coin_

Back in the kitchen, the two kings turned to Hades. They had seen, earlier at the meeting, the obvious looks of love that passed between the two gods. Hades seemed to need reassurance, though. So they sang a more hopeful message, all the while pushing and prodding the two still-morphed imps in their silly costumes.

_My Lord this fairy tale need not__  
__be so dire and grim_  
_Perhaps the Miller's girl has_  
_a thing for shorter men_  
_There could be hope for Red and Wolfie_  
_maybe Goldie likes bear hugs_  
_and it's not so far-fetched_  
_for even you to find true love_

Knocking the imps aside, the kings continued, their faces very sincere, even a little fatherly toward the ancient god.

_Life and death, day and night__  
__we know opposites attract_  
_just stop trying to read her mind_  
_go find out how she'll react_

Hearing their words of encouragement, Hades reopened his mind, realising that he hadn't imagined it at all. Persephone herself had called this a 'date', using that word exactly. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to stay. Even if she decided to leave afterward, he truly wished to spend some quality time alone with her, on an actual real date. Anything more... well, they had eternity to consider that.

"Yeah," he said softly, "you're right." He looked at the kings, saying something he'd never said to any mortal before. "Thanks, guys. I owe ya one."

Gathering the food and drink into the basket, he left the kitchen. Unaware of the heated stares of one of his imps, and not hearing the snide comments that imp made to the kings for their interference.

Hades went down the stairs toward the pool, still singing to himself. Persephone sang as well, though neither of them saw or heard each other yet.

_Even if I get hurt__  
__Even if I fall_  
_It could be the real thing_  
_It would be worth it all_  
_Though there'll be hell to pay_  
_from this choice I make_  
_I know in the end_  
_it's a risk I'm dying to take_

Hades reached the bottom of the stairs and started toward the pool, humming happily. Persephone sat there, bright and smiling at his approach, and his heart leaped. Perhaps his fate wasn't so dreadfully drastic after all.

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	11. When Life Gives You Pomegranates, Make G...

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Persephone seduces Hades (yes, you heard right), Pain and Panic debate with their fists, and Hades gets a very surprising visitor._

* * *

**CHAPTER 11 : WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU POMEGRANATES, MAKE GRENADINE  
**Απαγορευω Καρπος Παθος

**- o - ONE - o - **

Hades had tossed a soft blanket on the ground beside the Lethe Pool, tucked the narcissus into a small decorative amphora, and unpacked a simple but delicious picnic for them both. Now they both sat sipping chilled spiced nectar, nibbling spanakopita and chatting. Persephone had complimented the ambrosia-based dish heartily, surprised that he'd instinctively known she was vegetarian and had chosen something suited for her tastes. He smiled, pleased that she liked not only his company but his cooking.

He was actually beginning to relax, having successfully convinced himself that a simple, harmless date with this young goddess was nothing inappropriate, nothing too serious. In fact, he was truly enjoying it. He knew she was too young yet to pursue further, but he also knew now that she liked him, actually liked him, just for who he was. So he could wait. Dating her for a few decades would be fine. He was very patient when it came to getting something so important just right.

The only problem was being so physically close to her. When she leaned forward to pour more nectar for herself, her mocked-up chitonion tended to gap open a bit on top... But she always smiled sweetly at him, so innocent and unaware of how much flesh she showed. And when she took another bite of ambrosia, she licked her fingers in such a provocative manner... But of course, she was just relishing the taste of food, since she hadn't bothered to eat in four days. Still... even his patience was teetering. He tried extremely hard to find a diversion. So he talked. A lot.

Now he was telling her about Hercules. He no longer held the hatred he once had for the demi-god, since it no longer mattered in the slightest. He told stories of various adventures he'd watched -and caused- the growing hero to endure during high school, most of which had nothing to do with school at all and usually left the campus with property damage costs ranging into the quintuple digits.

It left Persephone chuckling. "I'm amazed at his persistence," she smiled. "He never doubted for a minute he could defeat you, did he?"

Hades gave a sighing laugh as well. "Ah, it's genetics, I'm sure. Son of the all-powerful Zeus? How could he let himself lose? Anyway I never tried that hard, to be honest. I usually sent others after him, knowing they would fail me, as per usual. I rarely went after him myself, even though I could probably have killed him easily. But hey, who am I kidding? The kid was a surprisingly worthy adversary. After eighteen years, I can admit that."

He rested back on his elbow, at an angle to his outstretched body. "But I don't have to think about him, or universal conquest anymore. I can't set foot outside the Underworld again, let alone inside Olympus, not even for Council meetings. I'm banished here forever, so I might as well do the best I can for my own kingdom. I guess it has been a little more than neglected..." He sighed, then smiled at her gently. "Though it's a far sight easier to deal with, having you around to talk to."

"...I guess I should have mentioned this earlier...," she said in a soft voice.

"Uh... what?" he inquired, blinking in confusion.

"That Zeus doesn't hold any serious grudge against you. He made those decisions about you based on what the majority wanted." Persephone shook her head, sighing. "He thinks what you did was just another ploy for attention, albeit a kind of desperate one. But you were always free to leave the Underworld. No one would have harmed you. I'm sorry, I should have told you."

Hades stared at her for another moment, as the information absorbed itself into his suddenly sponge-like brain. Then his arm gave way and he slid down onto his back. "Ohhh... I can't _believe_ this... I've been wasting my time hiding out down here, thinking I was a criminal, putting myself in my own damned prison... And I could've gone outside anytime and pretended like_ nothing ever happened?_ Okay, it's probably not quite that simplistic, but close enough. _Oy vey_..."

"But it hasn't been a waste of time, Hades. While you've stayed down here, you've had time to contemplate the changes you're now making," she pointed out gently. "And Styx would still be doing what she's doing. You would've needed to make the adjustments in any case."

"Ah... true enough," he sighed, and turned his head toward her with a smile. She had an amazing gift for putting his mind back on track... And then knocking it right back off again. From this angle, with the way she sat... knees together, tucked underneath, her chitonion split down the front... he could see almost the full length of her incredible smooth golden thighs... Clearing his throat and sitting upright, he said, "Okay, so who wants dessert? I make a great baklava."

"No need," Persephone said with a soft mysterious smile. "I have something better..." And she twisted her wrist in a semi-circle, manifesting a perfectly ripe pomegranate into her hand.

His eyebrows lifted. Had it come from her grove on Nysa? Long way to manifest just a piece of fruit.

Cutting it in two, she gave him half and took the other. Her eyes were warm and purposeful when she gazed down at the fruit, peeling back the red rind with her slender fingertips. She gently parted the soft white inner flesh from the shimmering ruby seeds, sliding them free with her thumbs. Then she put the fruit to her lips, seeming to kiss it, tongue slightly extended, as she bit into the sweet fleshy seeds.

Hades watched her raptly, as everything seemed to move in excruciatingly slow motion. Seeing her fingers dripping with blood-red juice, he blinked unsteadily as a sudden harsh image flooded his brain... For just a fraction of a moment, she appeared in his mind's eye as a death goddess, gripping the heart of a sacrificial victim... _His heart_... Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the real goddess before him. She was smiling so sweetly, not looking the tiniest bit dangerous. It had been a foolish thought.

And she was still eating the pomegranate, so slowly... The red pulp exploded, bathing her lips and tongue with juice. She wrapped her lips around the jeweled seeds, sucking them into her mouth hungrily, fondling them with her tongue, chewing slowly and deliberately, smiling at him. And then her tongue slid out, licking the juice from her ripe, moist lips...

He gulped hard, and glanced down at the slice he held in his own hand. He saw now what else there was to see in the fruit. It was moist, glistening, red and open... and so immensely sexual it nearly blew a gasket in his overheated brain's engine. His throat suddenly dry as fire, he bit into his own half of the fruit.

She saw how intently he watched her, pupils darkened, nostrils widening, hair flaring in tiny bursts he was trying and failing to control. He was definitely experiencing powerfully lustful thoughts, it was obvious to her even in her general naïveté. Yet he still held back. Up until now, this had been like being on a date with her uncle or something. The pomegranate being sometimes considered an aphrodisiac, she hoped its influence might help matters. And she was growing determined. Reaching forward, giving him another deliberate view of cleavage, she touched his lower lip with her fingertip. "Hold still. You've got a little juice here...," she said, rubbing it away slowly.

He held his breath and didn't move a muscle. At least not one he could control very well. He watched as she took the offending droplet of juice away, and then put the finger into her own mouth, sucking softly. Her smile was so sweet, so open and unhesitating... A part of his brain whispered, _Holy hell, she's actually trying to seduce me! _Then another part replied, _No no no, that's impossible_. The first part slapped the second upside its head and walked away muttering, _Geez Louise, you fucking idiot...!_

Persephone was still smiling when she said, "I have a big surprise for you. Something I want to show you."

The retreating bit of his brain whipped back around, suddenly alert. "Uh, okay," he mumbled.

"But first...," she said, taking up a cloth napkin, "no peeking until we get there." And she leaned forward, intending to tie it around his eyes.

The raptly interested part of his brain kicked the paralyzed half out of the way. "Ooooh," he drawled, allowing her to secure the blindfold around his head. "Getting kinky with me? Wanna tie my hands, too? I won't fight..."

Her voice smiled to him. "Maybe I should gag you instead."

"Well, _well_, now," a soft laugh escaped his throat. "Aren't we getting bold..." He was titillated, but even the hesitant part of his brain noticed that she no longer sounded as innocent as she should be.

Taking his hands, she stood him up and led him slowly away from Lethe.

**- o -TWO - o - **

Before dawn of the fifth morning since her daughter's disappearance, Demeter's wanderings brought her to a small well, outside a tiny village several miles from Athens. She sat on a hilltop above the well, gazing despondently out across the bay. She carried the ragged remnants of Persephone's headdress and peplos clutched in her hands, and had pulled a long dark mantle over her head, as if in mourning. She had neglected to sleep, eat or bathe since the start of her ordeal. Indeed, even her aura was paling with worry, her skin fading to a washed out yellowish. Without careful inspection, she passed easily for mortal.

When young girls came to fill their pails from the well, they met her and took pity on her condition. She told them a strange garbled tale of pirates and abduction and escape, and then she fell into silence and brooding. They offered her a place to stay, and gave her direction to reach their home if she should decide to accept their hospitality.

Demeter sat for a while longer, then was greeted by another woman who, along with her son, had come to fetch water. She offered the unknown goddess a sip from the dipper, and it was drained thirstily. At that moment, Demeter was suddenly gripped with a vision. In her mind's eye, she saw...

_...the shape of a child... a boy... no one she had ever seen, yet intensely familiar... smiling at her with love and humor...__  
__around him voices cried out "Iakche! Evoe!"... cheers of celebration, discovery, good fortune..._

Puzzled by this vision, she felt herself longing anew. Not merely for her lost child... but for another child as yet unborn...

Then something happened which annoyed and deeply insulted her. And once again, she lashed out in a way no one had ever seen before. The woman ran away from the spot, leaving behind what had been her son to scuttle away on four legs. Demeter, feverish and angry, wandered on, seeking out the home of those who had been more polite.

**- o - THREE - o - **

"Are we there yet?" Hades teasingly asked. Again.

"Cut it out," Persephone warned with a laugh, "or I'll have to hurt you."

"Oh, baby," he grinned, chuckling deep in his throat. "Can't wait..."

She rolled her eyes at his banter, although she too was enjoying it. "Okay, three more steps and we're there." Pulling his hands, she led him forward. Then stopped him, and removed his blindfold.

Surprisingly, there was daylight. He blinked a bit, adjusting to the brightness and then looking around. It seemed as though they were in her grove. "What the-," he muttered. "How did you get us all the way to Nysa without dematerializing...?" Then he saw the differences. The trees weren't quite as enormous, and there was no stream running through the center of the grove. He narrowed his eyes. "...Wait a minute. Where are we?"

"The Elysian Fields," she smiled.

This stunned him to silence. He walked to the edge of the nearly-duplicate grove, and looked outside. Beyond the fields, which looked far greener and more lush than he remembered, was the rest of the Underworld, dark and gloomy as ever. The force-field was altered, thinner but still separating the climates. He turned back toward her. "You did this... you... _changed_ the Elysian Fields...?"

"Yes. The power that maintained this place apart from everything else... It's inside me now." She raised her hands, and the glow emanating from them was noticeably paler. The gold mixed with white. "It was no wonder you couldn't enter before. The field was actually pure life energy, and you command only death. I've talked to some of the souls here, and they told me what it's about. The Elysian Fields is life inside of death, a place they can feel nearly alive and solid again. That's why the dead hero could touch me so directly. For which, by the way, he has effusively apologized," she said with a wide grin.

She came to stand beside Hades then, and looked outside to the darkness beyond the force-field. "The souls also explained why only heroes have come here. Most mortals believe that when they die, there's nothing to expect but misery, so they never seek anything else from the Afterlife. Heroes, however, spend their lives seeking brightness and fame and glory. So when they die, they seek the same thing and thus they make it to the Islands of the Blest. It's a pity really, because any soul could've come here at any time." She smiled up at his furrowed brow. "Just proves that you only get what you feel you deserve, in life or in death."

Hades nodded, not really paying much attention. "The plant life here. It's real now. I've never been able to keep a plant alive before. You grew it all," he muttered. "How did you do it?"

She raised one eyebrow, smiling. "Well, I _am_ the goddess of Springtime, you know. It's kind of my _schtick_."

He almost laughed, but his voice was disappearing along with certain parts of his sanity. He shook his head, trying to make the sinking feeling vanish as well. It seemed that she didn't understand, what she'd just done was supposed to be impossible.

Persephone continued, walking over to a pomegranate shrub, the one from which she'd manifested the fruit they'd shared. "The fact that this is a pocket of life-within-death explains why I was able to affect things, even before the force-field came into me. I touched the ground and it came to life. It's why I can use my powers, to grow things here." Brushing the shiny leaves of the bush, a faraway smile danced over her lips. "I guess, it was all kind of ... waiting for me to come along."

Hades just stared into the air, weighing the enormity of what was happening. Then it hit him like a missile, and his brain began a rapid downward death-spiral into nullification. Speaking as if from a distance, he said, "The Fates were right... you are the one..."

Seeing his expression of such clarity and surprise and a bit of dread, she began to worry. She asked softly, "The one... for what?"

"They told me I'd find you," he said, recalling the poem with irony now. "_'A dark flower, filled with never-before-seen power'_, and that _'in death is renewal'_... I'd say this qualifies." He raised a hand and swept it around at the Fields. Finishing almost breathlessly, he said, "You have a totally unique power, Persephone. The power of life over death."

She felt an excitement well up inside her at his words. "Then I truly was fated... to be here...," she said, trying to get him to meet her eyes, "...to be with you."

He continued, unable to look at her. His brain was crashing and burning within his skull, and he knew he would never be the same again. "You don't realize, do you, what this actually means? You have a greater power than I do in the Land of the Dead, my own kingdom." Now he turned to look at her, seeing that her expression had grown as shocked as his was anguished. "With your power, you could literally... conquer the entire Underworld and... _everything in it_..."

She shook her head fervently at the dazed worry in his eyes. "No, oh no, Hades," she hastily said, "I wouldn't do that!"

But he was walking away. His steps weren't purposeful but shambling, carrying him vaguely away from the site of his ultimate defeat. Nothing in his life could have prepared him for such as this. The last few days alone had brought him events that were unprecedented, but this was the topper. Another had vied for control of his kingdom, ironically on the very day he'd met Persephone. Now she had accomplished what the other could not. And he couldn't do a damned thing about it.

_But... she's a goddess, and she's so sweet and kind,_ his brain whispered, _so is it really such a bad thing? _Apparently the sentimentally irrational half of his mind had survived burning up on re-entry and crawled from the wreckage without a scratch. He drop-kicked it over the horizon. _Yes_, he muttered internally, _it's bad... Very bad._

Persephone pursued him, and finally reached out to touch his arm, stopping him. "Hades, I'm serious," she breathed. "I'm not trying to take over the Underworld. I only wanted to help you, any way I could." Her eyes were beginning to mist, so worried was she about his attitude.

"Help me...?" he muttered. "You've taken over half my kingdom. Of course it's a part I never really had control of to begin with, but..."

"That wasn't my intention," she sniffled. She hadn't realized just how badly he'd take it. He must think she was awful, for having done something he could never accomplish. It was his world, not hers, though she felt deeply attracted to both it and its king. "I'm so sorry. You can enter the Elysian Fields anytime you like. It's open now, to all gods and all souls who truly deserve it." Tears fell over her cheeks then, and she wiped them away. "I'll just leave... I shouldn't have come at all..."

Before she could run away, he put his hands firmly on her shoulders. He hadn't consciously done so, but there they remained. For a long unsteady moment the two gods stared at each other, his eyes saddened but unwilling to release her, and her eyes shimmering with regret. He knew she wasn't deliberately trying to control his kingdom. He knew, had always known somehow, that she belonged here. He had let her stay because he wanted her to. Wanted her to be with him. Wanted_ her_... in every way possible...

Finally she spoke again. "Hades, please believe me. I would _never_ conquer you."

Sighing, he nodded, showing he knew. He let go of her shoulders and took her hands in his. Placed them over his heart which, until he'd met her, he would have sworn hadn't pulsed in centuries. "It's too late," he uttered to her response, "you already did."

Persephone, stunned by the fact he had admitted something of his feelings, could only look into his eyes, those penetrating golden orbs. Perhaps there was still a chance to repair things. A chance to become everything she knew they were meant to be. Together. Her fingertips grasping his chiton, she whispered in return, "I didn't mean to..."

They stood thusly for another moment, as the air began to hum around them. Or at least it seemed to do so. Their heads were really what buzzed, as the emotions coursed through them and the chemistry stirred irresistibly.

He could feel how soft and pliant she was against him, and she gazed at him with the same longing as the day before. He hadn't pushed it then. But now... what more did he have to lose? The two parts of his brain that had warred for days called a momentary truce. _Just this once_, he told himself, _just once_... After all, surely she was old enough for one little kiss...

She had seen the debate behind his eyes for days now, wishing she could allay his fears and doubts, especially concerning her own desires. Perhaps she should just kiss him... But now he was lowering his head to hers, and she held her breath, thrilled he had made the move himself, at last. She was ready, more than ready for it, and tilted her chin up expectantly, eagerly.

Then his full dark lips met hers, lush and red as pomegranates themselves. And the world began to spin along with the humming.

He shut his mind off completely, refusing to listen to either side in this endless moment. Tasting the sweetness of pomegranate on her lips... or perhaps it was just her... his mouth moved softly over hers, drinking from the suddenly over-flowing well his soul had become.

Lips urged gently apart by the pressure, she could feel everything with the sharpest clarity. The warmth of his mouth, the soft wetness of his tongue, the edges of his teeth... and the shared rising heat of their bodies. An unexpected sharp tingle pulsed through her, and she almost gasped aloud.

Her little intake of breath pushed him right to the edge, and he leaped over, hungrily seeking more. He put his arms fully around her, behind her slender waist and caressing the nape of her neck, pulling her body tightly against his. Then he thrust his tongue deep into her sweet mouth. She surrendered with a tiny moan, lifting her own hands to his broad shoulders and then around them, letting him guide her wherever he would lead, willing to follow.

It felt so instinctively right... and so incredibly warm, it was almost painful. The kiss was melting both their brains to mush. Their bodies began to melt together as well, seeming to flow into one another. Soon, everything would be one big warm melted puddle of passion, and there would be no stopping, no turning away, no holding back...

**- o - FOUR - o - **

Four pairs of round interested eyes observed as the two gods, unaware of spectators, remained lip-locked like there was no tomorrow.

The imps and the kings had finished their snack and card-playing break and were returning to their assigned areas, which took them past the Elysian Fields. The place itself drew some attention, as it had vastly changed since their breaktime. And boy, was the view within entertaining.

The imps had never seen the Boss kissing anyone. Ever. They couldn't even conceive of the idea. But upon seeing it in action, Pain sniggered lecherously. Nudging Panic with his elbow, he grinned toothily in approval. "I guess this means she does kinda like him."

Panic however was breathless at the tableau of tawdriness. He had been stewing in his juices over the goddess for days, resenting her presence and what it did to the Boss. But this... well, this not only took the cake, it hacked it into little pieces, coated it with cyanide and shoved it right down his unwilling throat. He gawked and gagged at the scene. Barely able to speak, he rattled, "Ye gods... what's the Underworld coming to?"

"Aw, you're just jealous," Pain scoffed, crossing his arms at his partner while continuing to ogle the view. "Just 'cause no girl that gorgeous would touch your scrawny butt with a ten-foot pole."

Panic bristled, especially since it was true. But it did jerk his attention away from the offending sight. "As if you could do any better, Blubber-boy!"

Rounding on him with a growl, Pain declared, "Take that back, Twitchy, or I'll snap ya in half like the green twig ya are!"

An infernal brawl ensued along the banks of Acheron. Leaving only the kings to watch the charming scene unfolding before them, as they walked slowly away toward their jobs.

Aiakos, the more romantic of the two, sighed as he strolled along. "Ah, there's nothing so heartwarming as young love..."

Rhadamanthys just shook his head slightly. He was more realistic, and more old-fashioned. Muttering under his breath, he added, "And really, really, reeeally old love too..."

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Hades had submitted to some of his fate. Even if he had lost part of his kingdom, it didn't matter. Somehow, they would find a way to share it... and who knew what else as well. Things might not be so bad, once they worked out a compromise. But right now... he'd died and gone to heaven. Persephone was passionately kissing him back, sighing and moaning softly in his arms. Who could ask for anything more?

His hands began to roam slightly, up and down her back, over her sweetly curved hips, but still within civilized boundaries, just enough to tantalize. His lips covered her gorgeous face, skimmed her jaw, nibbled the lobes of her ears, ventured down her neck. With tender breathy sips, he trailed his mouth down her throat, softly uttering half-words of endearment. When his tongue pressed against her pulse there, she gasped and quivered, clinging helplessly to his arms.

He smiled to himself and returned his mouth to hers, sucking the sweetness from within. She was so incredible, and he was so enjoying this. It had been way, waaay too long. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, she was so young and innocent... But it was just a harmless kiss... a harmless, delicious, soul-stirring, mind-erasing, potentially-body-coalescing, passionate-beyond-coherent-words kiss... He could stop anytime he wanted to. Eventually. Maybe.

Persephone draped herself against him weakly. She was lazily thinking along the edges of her brain, while his kisses and caresses made the center of it turn to pudding. It felt so perfect, just as she'd known it would. Yet she wanted more, much more... She'd tried in her own unskilled way to seduce him earlier. And now she was totally ready to give in to fate. Hades was quite aroused, and she was fully aware. His ardent hardness, pressing so heavily warm against her, was driving her mad with longing. Writhing slightly, she impelled their hips closer together, drawing a small moan from him. She wanted so much to touch him, to please him, to hold him within her...

"Hades," she breathed against his mouth, "_please_..."

Reluctantly lifting his head, he saw the smoky gaze in her eyes. Did she want to stop? She did look somewhat bewildered. Even though his control was straining at its leash, he would do whatever she asked. It was already beyond his wildest dreams to be making out with her on the first date. "Is something wrong?" he queried gently, one hand brushing a long strand of hair from her cheek.

"Yes," she whispered, then dropped her gaze. "I don't exactly know what to do... Please," she asked, leveling half-closed eyes back up to his, "show me..."

At first his brain froze up. Rather an amazing feat, beneath a headful of fire. A laughing thought skated across his glacial cranium, to check and see if the rest of Hell had frozen over and he'd missed it. However, the heat of her tender body began to thaw his head, enough to stutter, "..Sh-show you...?"

"..._Everything_...," she whispered.

Her pleading eyes, her soft voice, that single word, drilled a hole through the ice over his brain and went fishing for the big one. The hell with making out... she wanted to go all the way! Goddamn, that was fast work. Was this still the same innocent little teenager he'd started kissing? With a desperate choking sound, he managed to say, "Do you know... do you understand... the full implication of what you're _asking_...?"

"Oh, yes," she murmured, putting her head closer to him again, nuzzling her lips along his neck the way he'd done to her. It made him tremble in a most satisfying way. "See I was thinking... I'm supposed to be Springtime itself... Mother, and so many of the others, think that means innocent... untouchable... You probably thought that yourself..."

He realized now, he too had made his assumptions, subconsciously, based on that ideal. Hesitantly, he said, "Yeah... I guess so."

She brushed closer to his ear, feeling the heat of his hair against her kiss-swollen lips. "Well, Spring is the time of year when everything is blooming... giving birth... opening up to be pollinated... During Spring the whole of nature is, in essence, having sex..." Her breath ruffled the flames, making him moan weakly. "And I'm the embodiment of Springtime... so therefore..."

It came to him in a flash. Just like Leuke had been at that time of year. Filled with lust for life. And just plain lust. And if a nymph felt that kind of heat during the Spring... what did it mean for a goddess who literally WAS Spring? Quivering, he swallowed. Hard. "...Uh... Therefore..."

"How, then, is it right for me to be Springtime... and never have sex?" Her voice husky, her eyes sultry pools of blue fire, lips moist and sweet and ready, she gazed at him. Her look expressed total certainty and helpless longing, beneath which was unassailable innocence. "Please... Hades... I don't _want_ to be a virgin goddess... I want _you_..."

He found it impossible to argue with such devastating logic, presented in such a profound and heartfelt manner. All rational thought ceased fire, his brain waved a little white flag and raised its hands in surrender, as long-suppressed physical need declared autonomy and desire took no prisoners. He had only one (very easy) choice to make: Who would be on top?

Holding her tight, he manifested them to smoke and they were in his bedroom before his lips dropped to kiss hers again.

**- o - SIX - o - **

Pain and Panic hobbled wearily back toward the spot they had left off dragging the river for souls. They were both bruised and battered from their fight, but at least Panic wasn't fussing so much about the Boss. He complained about his injuries instead. Pain found that slightly more tolerable.

After a few minutes of work however, Panic snarled and tossed the net aside. He was still fuming over what he'd seen, and nothing would deter him from pursuing it to the bitter end. "That's it! I can't stand it anymore!" he shouted. "She's no better than-than... that Hecate witch person! _She's_ just trying to take over, _too_!"

"Geez, get a grip, Panic," Pain shook his head, "she's not that bad. At least the Boss likes her."

"Well that's because he's blinded by lust! He can't see what she's doing!" Panic cried, desperately angry.

"Oh, I think he sees it pretty well," Pain grinned, "And he's liking it, too."

Panic merely growled, "You're not helping."

"Then maybe you're in need of a less-biased opinion," Pain stated, making an annoying amount of sense. "Ask someone else what they think of her. Besides me, 'cause I happen to like her, so tough patootie." Spotting the infernal boatman rowing in the river, hauling another load of souls toward shore, Pain called out to him. "Hey, Charon, you got a pretty good look at the goddess the Boss brought home. What do you think about her?"

"Yeah, what kind of person is she?" Panic inquired, his voice etched with concern. "I mean, is she _nice_? Is she from a _good_ _family_? Does she have Hades' _best_ _interests_ at heart?"

"Does she have a _sister_?" Pain giggled and leered, ignoring the heated glare Panic shot at him.

Charon sighed. He was way, waaay beyond caring about such matters. "Hey, guys," he said, his voice guttural through his moldy old throat, "I just row the boat..."

With that, Panic freaked out, pushing the debarking souls aside in fury. He leaped into the boat and grabbed Charon by his spindly shoulders and shook him until he nearly rattled. "Come on, man! You've gotta have an opinion about this! It's the most earth-shattering thing to ever happen down here! It's colossal! It's titanic! It's the biggest workload we've ever ha-!"

His tirade was cut off by the force of a barge pole crashing into his skull.

Charon lifted the pole, leaving behind an indentation in the imp's head. "Now listen up, boy-o!" he snarled. "You two don't know shit about work! I've been rowin' this goddamned boat since right after Hades took over, so that's nearly two thousand years without so much as a friggin' coffee break!"

Panic rubbed his head and stared in shock. Both imps were speechless. This was the most Charon had ever said at one time.

The demon boatman continued. "And as for the Boss' love life... You don't know shit about that either. Let's just say he's way the hell overdue. So leave it alone, keep your noses out of it... and _fuck_ _off!"_ That said, Charon pushed the barge away from shore, leaving them to ponder his advice. If they failed to heed it, it was their asses over the coals.

**- o - SEVEN - o - **

In the candlelit bedroom of the dark god, clothes were hastily peeled off, and hands and lips stroked impatiently over inflamed flesh. Persephone's eyes opened wide at the sight of Hades' incredible body, powerfully muscled and so beautifully male it made her moan aloud. If she hadn't already been flushed with overheated desire, she might have blushed at her first real view of naked turgid male flesh. It did momentarily take her breath away, every bit as much as the sight of her unveiled tender young perfection robbed him of air. Heads spinning, they tumbled onto his bed, arms and legs entangled.

He was no longer thinking rationally, and he simply couldn't stop himself anymore. It was too intense, and the wait had been far too long. She didn't know precisely what to do, how to please. But he had already taken the lead, and so she followed. He found her so sweetly receptive to his caresses that he pushed further and further, glorying in the texture and taste of her skin. When he kissed her deeply, she savored his mouth, sighing in pleasure. As he fondled her eagerly, she writhed beneath his hands, moaning in ecstasy. And when he explored her shamelessly, she opened like a dewy flower to his fingers and tongue, begging for the mercy of more, more, more.

Desperate now, she clutched at his body, pulling him closer, needing him completely. It was too much to bear, the anticipation of knowing he was meant to fill her, to fit inside her like a key in a lock, behind which untold secrets waited eagerly to be released. She touched him most intimately then, feeling the warmth and strength of his power in her hand, the surprising softness and adamant hardness. And she saw his pupils blacken with greatest hunger, desperate as she. _Please_ she whispered, caressing him, _please I need you..._

Beyond thought now, gently, but not as slowly as he would have wished, he pushed inside her. Trembling with exquisite need, groaning with pleasure, he all but whimpered in sheer gratitude for her precious virgin sacrifice to him. Gods, she was so sweet. So tight around him... absorbing, assimilating... offering all that she had, showing what he had to give as well. Breathing deeply, he held her close, kissing her face and neck over and over with tenderness. Muscles straining for control, he began to rock their bodies in a slow, smooth, delicious rhythm.

She gave a slight gasp as first he impaled her, but all pain melted under the heat of pleasure. Never had she dreamed it would feel so absolutely bottomless, this utter excess, this unending sensation of joy. He was beyond divine. Moving inside her... inescapable, undeniable... demanding she give everything, promising everything in return. It was so overwhelming her body began shaking with ecstasy almost instantly, and she cried out aloud. All but sobbing her delight, clinging to him with arms and legs, she urged his movements on, pleading for more.

Control gone, he drove deeply then, sparing nothing in the effort to become one with her body and soul, to fill her to the brim with his devotion. He could no longer fathom the totality of what he did, so immersed in physical rapture, the sensation of her body wrapped around him everywhere, her breathless cries of delight, the pure joy of pleasing her so completely. Her body pouring like honeyed wine over him, he stumbled drunkenly, slid into the depths, greedily draining the cup. Not realising his own voice hovered on weeping, he murmured plaintively against her ear, _Oh my sweet one I am yours... my goddess I love you I have always loved you..._

Mind swimming with the words, tears flowed gently from her eyes and her heart throbbed with the sense of being at last made whole, just as her body had been so lovingly ravished. Thrusting against him, pulling him still deeper, she felt herself drowning in desire. His hot mouth and body a fluid fire, held her down, covered her, filled her, re-created her in a crucible of ecstasy. Frantically, she cried out again, as her poignant voice joined the refrain, _My beloved god I love you... I need you I know you I belong to you always..._

Heart pounding, he shuddered with love, trying to hold off infinitely, but the pleasure was unbearable now. Eyes moist, she was lost forever, blinded by the swarm of emotions and sensations. Bodies and voices locked eternally together, they cried out in passion,_ My love oh yes please my love...!,_ as they arched in a paroxysm of conjoined glory.

Then everything went blissfully black.

**- o - EIGHT - o - **

Demeter found her way to the home of the mortals, a place filled with kindness. Before long, she found herself holding the infant son of the household's mistress, and was so overcome with maternal longing that she began to weep. She needed her daughter back. Why did none of the other gods understand that? It was as if a part of her had been ripped out, not knowing where the girl had gone.

Yes, she knew she was over-protective, knew she needed to learn to let go. Yes, she knew Persephone was grown-up and should be allowed to make her own choices. And if her daughter had truly run away to make her own life, then she would somehow learn to accept it. But not yet. Not until she knew Persephone was safe and happy. And she would not rest, nor would she stop searching until she had a satisfactory answer to that riddle.

For now, she cuddled the small boy in her arms, cooing and whispering secrets to him. _Perhaps_, she thought, _what I really need is a new baby, to hold and love. To start again..._

**- o - NINE - o - **

Hades awoke slowly, pulling his mind up from the delightful darkness it had fallen into. He became gradually aware of two things concerning the state of his body. First, that it felt delectably lax and liquid, having had the most awe-inspiring orgasm of his entire existence, which had caused both brain and body to faint dead away. Second, that it was draped partially over the unconscious, very naked, very young and formerly very virgin body of Persephone.

Realising with sheer dread what he'd done, he hauled his body off hers and to the edge of the bed, appallingly awake now. Groaning, he ran his hands through his hair, sending sparks flying between his fingers. "Oh shit," he muttered, "what the hell was I _thinking_?"

But he hadn't _been_ thinking, that was the problem. He'd allowed himself to lose control, something he prided himself on being able to maintain (usually). If he could manage to wait for nearly a millennia to try conquering his brother's kingdom, then he should have been able to wait another few years to sleep with this girl. Waited until she grew up, until she was more mature. Waited until the _second_ _date_, at least, for crying out loud. Even if she'd been sure she was ready... he wasn't sure he had been.

Persephone moved in her sleep, sighing softly. Her body was the most perfect thing he'd ever laid eyes on. Gilded skin, slender soft yards of it, sweetly curved and firmly flat in all the right places. Long lovely skeins of scarlet velvet hair, making a blanket of flame beneath her, a delicately red-petaled flower at her core. An angelic smile curving nectar-sweet lips, a feast for the soul.

His fingers and lips and everything else ached, positively throbbed with the need to touch her again. He shouldn't even be looking at her, though he'd just possessed that very same body in the most fantastically intimate way possible. And the things he'd uttered in passion, the words that had slipped uncontrollably from his mouth... _Oh hell_...

Groaning again, he began to seriously contemplate Lethe water for them both, before she woke up. She might be better off forgetting everything and going back home. Though that was absolutely the last thing he truly wanted.

Shivering with his anguished thoughts, he covered her drowsing form with the rumpled black bed sheets. Then he gathered up his himation from the floor and wrapped it hastily around his waist, not bothering to pin it, not bothering with his chiton. He needed to get away from this room, fast. He stumbled out, down, away from the palace, toward where he didn't know.

Yet he did know. His footsteps took him unerringly to the Pool of Mnemosyne. And his memories. Where he always went when he was troubled. Where he could lose himself in the past. Where he could sort out his thoughts and feelings, alone and undisturbed.

But when he arrived, he was far from alone. And he was _quite_ disturbed.

For on the edge of the pool sat... Leuke.

ς

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	12. The Paradise Lost & Found Dept

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hades and his first wife (still deceased) have a long discussion about life and love, and Hades and Persephone do a little more horizontal zorba. (Contains singing)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 12 : THE PARADISE LOST & FOUND DEPT.  
**Προμελετη Δευτερησκεψη

**- o - ONE- o -**

Leuke looked exactly as he'd last seen her, but see-through now, a ghost. Her hair bright green as leaves with sunlight shining through... skin like soft marble, white as the bark of her tree... eyes rich pools of the deepest, warmest brown ever created... and dressed in the incredibly skimpy dove-grey chitoniskos and strophion she'd loved to wear, when she wore anything at all. She looked up at his arrival, tilted her head and smiled a familiar huge grin. Especially since he was so shocked and dumbfounded that he was, for once, totally speechless.

"Hey, ya big lug! I wondered when you'd show up here again," she said in her always-cheery voice. "Seems like you spent a lot of time at this spot, whenever you had a problem coping with life. And from what I've been viewing," she said, waving a hand toward the blue water of the pool, "of the last seven hundred years -_wow_, has it really been _that long?_- you've been a very busy boy indeed. Is this really the Hades I once knew?"

His voice stumbled up his throat and tripped over his tongue. "_Leu-, Leu-_," he managed to utter.

The ghostly dryad continued while she had a captive audience. She rose and strolled toward him with her usual bouncy step, ponytail bobbing adorably, and eyed him from head to foot critically, grinning widely all the time. "Man, oh man, have you ever _aged,_ baby! I can't believe it, you've actually lost some of your flame!" she giggled teasingly. He'd had quite a headful long ago. Reaching up to his face, her semi-solid fingers pinched his cheeks together. "And just look at those frown lines! So serious!" Then her eyes dropped appreciatively to his bare chest and arms, which she couldn't help running her hands over. "Hmm. Rest of you looks pretty much the same... Yum-my!"

His voice picked itself up and tried again. Unsuccessfully. "But how-, _how-?_" .

"How did I get a soul?" she supplied, and he nodded. She could usually tell what he was thinking, one of her many gifts, and she smiled kindly at his bewilderment. "Interesting story behind that. But first, you'd better come sit down, hon. Relax." She took his hands and led him to the pool rim, and pushed him down until he sat. Then she plopped into his lap, just as they'd done countless times during her life.

It was such a natural response, he didn't even question it. But his mind was reeling. She'd been gone for so long, and now... now she was back. What did it _mean? _What should he_ do? _For now, he did nothing but let her talk.

"Okay, here's how it works," she began. "Human souls are, in actuality, a tiny spark of divine fire itself, thanks to the gods who created them. Meaning that humans are related, in a way, to the gods themselves, having a little fragment of immortality inside them. That knowledge is the _actual fire _Prometheus took to mortals, so no wonder the gods got all pissed off at him. Betcha didn't know that, didja?"

He furrowed his brow, as the information grabbed his true attention. "No... I guess I didn't. I was kind of left out of the decision to make humans in the first place, remember. But how did you...?"

"It's amazing what you learn, when you've been dead for a few centuries." She tilted her chin upward, smiling mysteriously. "No seriously, I learned it all not long before I died. From Hestia. Mortals have pretty much forgotten, or been made to forget, the facts. But think about it... If mere fire was all that had been stolen, Hestia, of all gods, should have been the most upset, right? But she not only took it in stride, she went on to counsel humans personally in the use of. After all, they kinda need the stuff to survive. No, it was the big secret of human creation that the gods didn't want anyone to know about. At the expense of keeping you in the dark, as well. Sorry, babe." She smiled sympathetically at her former lover. "Hestia decided it was time to pass along the information so she told me, since I was the one closest to you. Naturally that was just hours before I died, go figure, so I never got the chance to tell you. But now, I can."

Then she continued in a lighter tone, "So anyway, that's enough about that. On with the story of my amazing resurrection. Nymphs and satyrs, as you know, are spirits of nature itself. We come from a mystical nether-realm and are called into being by a tree, or a spring, or a meadow or whatever. We come from _earth_, like other nymphs come from _water_. Sylphs and cherubs come from _air_, and demons from _fire_. We're all attuned to the place we originate from. Like demons, who have a master to call them into being, the tree or ocean is a nymph's master. And whenever -_if_ ever- that master dies, we pretty much cease to be. When humans die, however, their immortal souls travel down to the Underworld because they are attuned to _their_ masters, the gods. And particularly," she emphasized, touching his chest with her forefinger, "to the God of Souls... _You_..."

Her voice grew more serious. "Hades, since you were given control of the Underworld and the power of death, the other gods had planned this. They gave you lordship over these souls, thereby giving you something they made from themselves. It was an _honor_." When his eyes widened in realization, she went on, "The other gods only made so many souls in the first place, and new souls have been created from sparks of the ones that already exist, through having children. Those souls belong to those gods, though they were given over to your care after death. Now, you are one of only a select few gods that can still create a soul, if you wish to. And remember this... even though all these older souls didn't worship you in life... you are _their god now_, in death."

With a soft smile, she said, "Love, you never knew how amazingly important your job is. And I'm glad to see that you're starting to understand, starting to make changes around here. Mortals hate and fear their deaths. But it's just a natural thing, they shouldn't be afraid. You should be here to help them adjust to death, give them an easier time in the Afterlife. They _depend_ on you."

"I... never knew... never thought of it that way," he replied in a low voice. "I've never really liked humans, because of... well, silly reasons. I never thought about making my own, because I didn't want more of them around. But I'm finding out they're not all bad. Some of them are actually okay..."

Leuke grinned. "Yes, they are. And I'm sure they will be willing to help you out in this task. Things will work out, you'll see." Then she snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hey, baby... Miss me?"

"More than I can say," he whispered. Hugging her back, he wished she was more substantial. His powers were so that the dead souls in his realm were tangible, though a bit foggy. He could grasp a soul easily and make it feel whatever he liked, be it pain or pleasure. And it seemed likely that he could even create a new soul by himself. But he couldn't make them into flesh and blood again. For Leuke, he wished it were possible. "My dear Leuke," he sighed into her whispery hair, "if you've been here all along, why didn't you ever come out and speak to me before?"

"Death has been, for me, like perpetual Winter, so I was just kind of snoozing away the centuries inside my tree, I guess," she shrugged. "You know how sluggish that always made me."

He recalled how the cold season had put her into near-hibernation. Autumn had made her behavior mature, more sedate. Summer had been a time to frolic and play, full of energy. And in Springtime...

"The presence of someone new in the Underworld woke me up," Leuke grinned meaningfully, "Eternal Springtime _herself_, it seems."  
Hades' eyes widened again. Persephone had more powers than they'd thought. And long before she'd accessed the Elysian Fields' power. _She truly was destined_.

"And I think you remember," the nymph continued, wiggling on his lap in a suggestive manner, "what Springtime means to me..."

He smirked a little then. "Yeah. It means you get incredibly horny and unstoppably talkative." Placing a fingertip against her feather-light lips, he grinned. "Sometimes, I wish Hermes hadn't gifted you with speech."

"Ha! You always said that," she laughed delightedly. Loving the usual old banter, she giggled, rubbing her bottom into his lap more persistently. "Of course, you always did find something fun to stick in my mouth to shut me up..."

"Yes, I remember clearly," he smiled, allowing her to continue, allowing the memories to return. Recalling all that her limber, flexible, oh-so malleable body was capable of doing, his body reacted spontaneously to the thoughts.

"Oooh, I see you _do_," she purred approvingly, her eyes dropping downward. "Mmm... hard as Hades, as always..."

He laughed and pushed her groping paws away from the most sensitive areas. "Enough already, you silly nympho."

"Aw, you love it! But tragically, there's little more I can do in this ghostly form," she sighed, mock-regretfully. "No matter. You're taken anyway."

He hesitated, face falling. "_Taken_... I'm not sure that's quite the word for what it is..."

"No?" she inquired innocently, seeing clearly the change in his eyes. "The way you're half-dressed and mussed-up, the way your body's all limp and loosened... I'd say you were _taken_ every bit as well as you _took_."

He sighed heavily, and actually removed her from his lap, setting her beside him. He hunched forward, hands clenched and jaw tighter. "I shouldn't have done it. It was... too sudden, too quick..."

Leuke pursed her lips, knowing she was close to getting him to break through a barrier. "Hmm, I remember our first time was pretty quick too. But of course, you were a virgin..."

The words came out in a monotone whisper. "...So was she..."

Brows arching, she grinned broadly and elbowed him. "Oooohh! _Someone's_ been a naughty boy!"

"Don't remind me," he grumbled, hiding his eyes. She wasn't helping his guilt trip. In fact, she was giving it a map to the better restaurants and directing it to the gift shop for postcards to mail home.

"Okay, I can see you're upset for some reason," the nymph considered. "She wasn't a declared, official Virgin Goddess, was she? She didn't already have that magic-impenetrable-chastity-belt-thingie, like Athena or Artemis, did she?" The idea always made her snicker. Those V.G.'s were very serious about their inviolability, and had been known to kill to protect it.

"No, and I don't think she was planning on it," he said, running a hand through his somehow frazzled flames. Then he muttered, almost an afterthought, "Though I'm sure her mother would've loved the idea."

"All right, then, no sweat," Leuke went on with a smile. "Well, you're so damn sexy I never understood why you didn't have girls lined up around the block, begging you for it day and night. If they'd known what a hot body you hid away underneath those baggy old clothes, they might've. I know _I_ sure loved it!" She giggled and licked the side of his brooding face. "And I seriously doubt you had to drag this one kicking and screaming off to bed, saying, 'Oh _nooo_, Hades, pleeease! _Anything_ but thaaat...!'" She put on a pseudo-tragic expression, hand to forehead, biting her lip. Then batted her eyes at him coquettishly, inviting him to join the joke.

But he didn't respond with a laugh. In fact he sighed more deeply. Leuke frowned a little. He was being far more difficult than she'd expected. Clearly, something more serious was happening inside him. She decided to try a different tack. "Ya know, I gotta say, from what I saw of her thoughts and yours in the pool... you _both_ had the major hots for each other, right from the start. And more..."

This information raised his head. "You can see her memories, too?"

She nodded. "When you two connected through the water, her thoughts merged with yours, became part of them. And since I always did read you like an open scroll, it's a piece of cake for me to access your memories."

"Great," he rolled his eyes, finally. "I never could hide a damned thing from you. This is even worse." But he still managed to grin a tiny bit.

"Hey, babe," she smiled, patting his arm fondly, "I kept ya honest."

"That you did." He laughed with soft irony. He knew she'd seen already, through the pool, all the terrible deeds he'd committed after her death. The viciousness he had unleashed from that dark part of himself, held in check the five hundred years she had been with him. What he'd inherited from his father had come rushing forth with a vengeance. And now he regretted almost everything. He sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, I've lost some of that honesty along the way..."

Speaking seriously now, she said, "Especially with yourself." She inhaled and said the one thing he didn't want to think. About Persephone. "You love her."

The iron chains on his heart clanked loudly, trying to fall off, as he reached deep inside and attempted to pull them tighter. He was failing and he knew it. Persephone was picking the lock that held them bound. Sounding older than ancient, sadder than misery incarnate, he said wearily, "But I _shouldn't_..."

Leuke frowned. He'd never shut himself off from his emotions this completely. Sure, she'd had to force them free sometimes, but he'd always faced them in the long run. And he had been better off for it. She tried again. "You know, she loves you too."

This made the chains squeal in protest, straining against his stubborn grip, trying desperately to slide off his heart and be gone forever. But he couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it. Not even if it were all true. "She said that... in the heat of the moment."

"Oh, I'm sure it _was_ hot. I'm sure you both _swooned_ with overheated ecstasy," Leuke said sarcastically, drawing his attention back to the present. "Look, I can see you both love each other insanely. So why the hell are you down here, instead of with her?"

"Because," he spoke, his voice more doomed than any soul in Tartarus had ever felt, "It hurts too much... I don't want to feel this way... I never _wanted_ to love anyone again..." But then he sighed. And his voice became a song, bewildered and frightened, wishing it never had to feel anything...

_It's a hopeless case__  
__I'm too far gone_  
_it's useless to even pretend_  
_I've fallen and_  
_I can't get up_  
_I may never walk again_  
_How did this happen_  
_when did it start_  
_what the hell am I going to do_  
_How could I ever_  
_find space in my heart_  
_for anyone... after losing you_

Leuke smiled softly. So that was the problem. As if she hadn't guessed. She sang too, putting in her two drachmas worth.

_Why do you fight__  
__when you want to give in_  
_in this battle with your heart_  
_to lose is to win_

_When your personal demons__  
__have your back to the wall_  
_trust your heart to defend you_  
_love will always stand tall_  
_It will tame the dragons_  
_hold the beast in thrall_  
_you should know by now_  
_how well love conquers all_

Seeing his continued hesitance, she bantered with him as they'd done numerous times when she'd lived. Asking questions and demanding quick responses, giving him no time to think, but only to say the first thing that came to mind.

_Do you love her? ...I do__  
__Do you admire her? She's awesome_  
_Do you respect her? Absolutely_  
_Do you desire her? Whoa man..._  
_Is she special? Incredible_  
_Is she the right one? I think so_  
_Does she love you? ...Yes..._  
_What's your malfunction? I DON'T KNOW!_

At his frustrated shout, he leaned forward where he sat, gripping his head in both hands. His shoulders heaved with broken sighs.

She became momentarily silent, seeing the obvious confusion and pain etched in every line of his body and face. Compassion was always her first tactic with him, but he was fighting this a little too hard. "Okay, Hades, enough's enough. What's really eating you over this? What's so damned _wrong_ with loving this girl?"

"For starters," he grumbled, lifting his head and glaring into empty space, rolling his eyes ironically, "I'm fifty, and she's fifteen. She's just a _child_..."

At this announcement, Leuke merely blinked, her face blank at first. Then she laughed aloud. "Are you _completely bonkers?_ You have spent _way_ too long around humans, their idea of morality is rubbing off on you! You are both _gods_, for gods' sake! It shouldn't matter! Immortals don't age like humans, and even humans are considered fairly adult by that age. She's past fourteen years, into the second stage of life, right? Y'know, it never made any damned sense to me, a god having to wait 'til they're twenty-one before they're called 'grown-up'. But that was a 'Zeus-Decreed Rule', wasn't it? 'Stupid rules Dept.? See Zeus.' Maybe somebody should whack 'im over the head with a mountain and knock some sense into him." Leuke snorted in disgust, not being terribly fond of the King of Gods, herself. "But in the meantime, Persephone doesn't _act_ or _think_ like a child, does she? She made up her own mind about coming here, about sleeping with you, _didn't she?_ Then how can you _insult_ her by considering her a child?" Leuke shook her head indignantly. "Man, I can't _believe_ you're using such a lame-ass excuse! For pity's sake, Hades, when did _you_ get so moral?"

Hades frowned distastefully. "'_Moral_'? Hey, I do have my own ethics, you know-"

She didn't let him finish. Whipping her hand through the top of his hair, fluttering the flames to get his attention, she snapped, "_And_ if you're gonna get all bent out of shape about age differences, may I remind you of _my_ age when we met? My tree may have been over twenty-one, but I was a mere _three years_ into conscious life when you came along. And you didn't exactly check my I.D. at the time, so why is it different now? Just because nymphs are born looking adult, doesn't mean I wasn't still a baby, according to _your_ high standards." She crossed her arms and shook her head at him. "And just because you were an incredibly late bloomer, doesn't mean either of _us_ were! Girls mature faster, anyway!"

Hades held up his hands in defeat. He'd forgotten what persistent tirades she could present. "Okay, okay! I give up! I'm an idiot!"

"Yes, you are," she grinned, "a complete moron."

"Fine," he twisted his lips into a bit of a grin as well. "She really isn't too young, in the ways that count. And she's certainly not too innocent, at least not anymore. I've been in denial about it, and I know it's pointless. Age means nothing. I've just been... trying to ignore my feelings."

"Darn right. So, what's holding you back from giving her your whole heart?" Leuke said, knowing the answer before it came.

He grew quiet, but looked her straight in the eye and said, "You."

Scooting closer, she touched his face gently and spoke even more so. "Love... I am _dead_, you know."

His breath caught on the next words. "Because of me..."

"No," she insisted softly, "because of a storm."

"Because," he went on, his voice smaller, ashamed, "I never made you immortal..."

"Oh, Hades," she said softly, "my love, who says I would have accepted that?"

He looked up at her, puzzled. "Wouldn't you? But why not?"

"I was always perfectly content being what I was," she explained, smiling at his confusion. "Unless you've actually been a dryad, you wouldn't understand it. All of us are born with the knowledge that life may be short, but it can be sweet. So we live every moment joyfully, never sure if it's the last, but never dwelling on it either." Putting her tiny hand over his long-fingered giant one, she said tenderly, "I had five hundred incredible years, far longer than I would have ever expected. And I loved every day. Best of all, I got to love _you_... And I _always_ will hold you in the most special place in my heart."

He clasped her ghostly hand in his, gazing into her still-brown eyes. He had loved her too. _Past tense_, he realized, as the iron chains slipped a notch, unnoticed. He still cared very much for her, and felt responsible toward her. But he no longer loved only her.

"My love for you," she continued, "gave me my _soul_." As his eyes widened again, she smiled. "See, I told you that you could do it. You made mine, without knowing it. Being together for so long, your powers just kind of rubbed off on me, and built up the same kind of divine fire that humans have. _I belong to you_, as always," she touched her chest over her heart, then gently touched his. "When Persephone came here, whatever power she already possessed gave me the spark I needed to reawaken. So... doesn't all that count for something resembling immortality?"

He had to concede the point, nodding silently.

"But," she went on, looking deeper into his eyes, "there is still something else blocking you... isn't there?"

He closed his eyes, sighing. "Baby, I... I ran off when you begged me to stay. I let you die alone... _Alone_..." He squeezed his eyes tight, and the iron chains squeezed his heart tighter for a moment, like they would crush it yet again.

She closed her eyes too. It had been difficult, but he needed for her to say it was okay. And after this long, it truly was okay. "I understand why you did it," she said softly, opening her eyes and gazing tenderly at him. "My love, if you thought I was holding a grudge, then you don't remember me very well. Yes, I died without you beside me, but I was surrounded by your power every moment. That comforted me as much as having you present."

From beneath heavy grey eyelids, a tiny trickle of moisture escaped.

As much as it pained her, she knew that she was expected to ignore it, so she did. "You know, normally when a dryad dies, she sleeps inside her tree until it completely deteriorates, then she returns to the elemental nether-realm. It was your power and your love that preserved my tree from decaying and kept me here instead."

He choked on his words. "Oh shit... I _trapped_ you here..."

"No, _no_, you big silly," she assured him quickly, before his anguish got out of control. "You allowed me to stay, when otherwise I wouldn't have been able to. I didn't _want_ to leave, until I knew you were going to be okay without me." Now she reached up and brushed his damp cheek. "And I know you will be... if you just let yourself love this goddess. _You are meant to be together_."

He wiped his eyes, and turned them toward her. "So.. you can forgive me?"

Leuke smiled gently. "My dear Hades, you did nothing wrong toward me, ever. You just need to forgive your stupid, stubborn self..." And she sang again, softer and easier, knowing he was going to be fine at long last.

_When the beast within you__  
__leaves you trampled and small_  
_just shout out her name_  
_love will answer the call_  
_She's your shield and sword_  
_the net to break your fall_  
_she's the reason for living_  
_true love conquers all_

_Accept your fate__  
__how tough can it be_  
_by accepting her love_  
_you will set yourself free_

...And at last... Hades felt the key turning in the rusted lock. The iron chains dissolved utterly, vanishing from his heart. The final drop of True Love serum flowed into his veins. The warring sides of his brain signed a permanent peace treaty. He understood now.

_Defeat was triumph._

He was finally free from his past. And he sang softly of the joy he now felt.

_Her powers of life__  
__make me want to live_  
_to taste freedom again in my soul_  
_Maybe I do have_  
_something to give_  
_to this goddess who makes me feel whole_  
_My heart of darkness_  
_so bitter and cold_  
_has tasted her sweetness and light_  
_Her warmth, forever_  
_I want to enfold_  
_so Fates... I will give up this fight_

For a moment he could only sit and gaze into the air, but the look of glorious, almost painful wonder on his face made its ancient lines soften and become young again.

Leuke smiled happily upon that face, the now-aged but still familiar visage of her former husband. She had loved him completely, had seen in him what no one else bothered to look for, and it was truly their loss to miss out on it. However, she was dead now and had to let him go. And she could do it without jealousy. Unlike him, she had never been the sort to worry about such things. She was a dryad. And dryads were likely to sleep with darn near anything that came along during the mating season, species and gender notwithstanding. He'd known that, and hadn't been able to cope with the concept of infidelity, so he'd brought her to the Underworld to prevent even accidental cheating. She'd tolerated it well enough, because she really loved him.

But every Springtime had been hell on them both. He'd gotten no sleep, and she'd actually had to lock herself in a room to keep from rushing out the door when he couldn't be there to personally satisfy her nearly insatiable seasonal need. True, he was very passionate and romantic and sensual, and very, veeerrry good in bed... but she had needed just a little more than even a god could provide on a daily basis, sometimes. Fortunately, being dead meant her libido was as much a memory as she was. Well, _almost_, she smiled wistfully. Such a grand, enormous monster as that was hard to defeat utterly.

Hades had been a great husband. No one could ask for anyone kinder and more generous than him, when he was truly in love. And Persephone was exactly what he needed, in order to rediscover that sorely neglected side of himself.

Leuke smiled up at him. "Now see there? Don't you feel better, getting it all off your chest?"

"Yes. Much," he replied. He did indeed feel like Atlas had nothing on him. Then he inquired, his eyes hesitant, "So... are you hoping to leave the Underworld?"

She shrugged and said casually, "Nah, no big rush. I wanna stick around awhile, see how things develop," she winked with a grin. "Besides, I'm in your jurisdiction since I now have a soul. It's up to you guys whether I leave or stay."

"Well, I certainly don't mind having you around again," he smiled easily. "And if you do ever decide to leave, Persephone could reincarnate you. That seems to be what her power is here." Shaking his head and chuckling, he added, "You know, I think you two would actually get along."

Leuke grinned widely now. "Hey, she loves you for who you really are inside. I like her already." Another thought occurred, and she said softly, "I'm sure she'll understand your... problem. And I don't think she'll hold it against you..."

Hades sighed, closing his eyes. He knew exactly what she referred to, and it had been plaguing him subconsciously along with everything else, since he'd begun to feel love again. _Children_. He and Leuke had actually tried for a while and failed, then had given up, joking that they were not exactly model parent material anyway. But if Persephone truly wanted to be with him, she might someday want a child. And that was something he simply couldn't give her...

Patting his hand, Leuke allowed him a few seconds to contemplate the issue, then stood and put her fists on her slender hips and mock-frowned down at him. "Okay, enough gloomy thoughts. If you're even _half_ the man I remember...," here she leered at his body fondly, giving a saucy giggle, "and I can see you're every fabulous inch of that... you'll quit sitting here, yakking with your dead first wife, get your sorry ass upstairs, and make love to the girl like you_ mean business_!"

Hades smirked wryly. Just like her, to nag him to have sex. Not that he'd ever needed encouragement after the first time... But he knew she was the past, that it was over and had been for seven centuries. Acknowledging that, and forgiving himself, had finally freed him. Standing now, he approached his lovely kind-hearted amazingly faithful nymphy dead wife, leaned down to her petite ghostly green head and smacked a fond kiss on top of it. "You're right as always, my dear. I'll see you later."

"I'll be here 'til further notice," she grinned, swatting his still-gorgeous firmly-muscled barely-covered backside as he walked past her, wishing just for a second her hand was more solidly fleshed than it was. As he departed, she called out, "And I expect juicy details, next time!"

**- o - TWO - o - **

Persephone had awakened, blissfully weak and slightly sore, but in a very pleasant way. She stretched luxuriously and reached out for the wondrous body of her beloved. And discovered herself alone. That fact didn't completely upset her. But the fact that Hades had taken most of his clothes and not yet come back, did.

She then began to experience serious doubt and eventually fear. Had she done something horribly wrong? She knew Hades had been hesitating since they met, never once touching her in a get-to-know-you-better kind of way. He had flirted, shown concern and courtesy, and desire had been clear in his eyes. She'd been sure he felt for her the same as she did for him. She had thrown herself at him, like some hussy (as her mother would have said). Then the ultimate insult, she had discovered the power to command half his kingdom, and still expected him to kiss her and just accept it.

What a _fool_ she'd been, thinking he would care for her after such a thing. To imagine what they'd shared was anything more than a fling, simple sex to relieve the tension building between them... Well, it was just _laughable_. So why did such an idea make her feel like dying?

And now she huddled into the center of the bed, arms wrapped around her legs, black sheet pulled across her body. Fighting tears and desperation, she rocked back and forth, hair cascading over her shoulders, hiding, protecting. Maybe she should go home before he came back and noticed her missing...

Her entangled thoughts fell completely apart as Hades entered the room. She looked up at his half-draped body, and her heart pulsed unsteadily as fresh waves of desire coursed through it. Choking it back, she found herself unable to even turn her face away in shame. Instead she watched his every move with huge eyes, hungry for reassurance.

Hades saw the look for what it was, and felt a stab of regret for taking as long as he had downstairs. But now, at least, he had no more reason to hold back from her. That alone was worth the wait. "Ah, you're awake. Good," he said with a smile. "We need to talk."

_Oh hell_, she cringed inwardly. He's going to kick me out, tell me it was a mistake, send me home. Eyes still fixed on his face, her every thought was so visible, she might as well have screamed the words.

The expression nearly killed him. But he had this planned, and he was going to follow it through, slightly sadistic though it was. Feeling only marginally guilty, he sat beside her on the bed covers, at a polite distance. Lowering his eyes, hands clasped together, he sighed. Then he spoke, and every word he said was true.

"Persephone, what happened between us... What I did... I did without thinking." Here he shook his head, remembering. "I lost control of myself. I acted in haste, and I am truly sorry."

Eyes wide and frightened, her lip trembled as she said, "..._Sorry_?"

"Yes," he said. Then he slid closer, his face within inches of hers, voice lowered to a smooth baritone. "Next time, it will be slow and _very_ thorough, my sweet one."

"Oh!" she breathed an exclamation of surprise, pleasure and indignation. And relief. Massive amounts of it.

"Had you worried, didn't I?" he drawled with the biggest fanged grin ever seen.

Lips pursed on a smirk, eyes narrowed with a playful warning, she said, "I _will_ get you back for that, someday."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," came the cheery reply. "But at this moment...," he purred, eyes heating with gentle passion, his breath breezing warmly over her bare shoulder, making her shiver. "Allow me to show you the proper adulation a goddess deserves..." And he pushed her back, laying her upon the pillows.

With hands and mouth and eyes, he worshipped at tender length at her altar, poured out offerings upon her body, and she accepted, drinking them thirstily. Her mouth, he kissed so deeply it stole her breath, left her gasping. Her face, he graced with soft brushing of his lips that melted her soul. Her breasts, he caressed tenderly, whispering his thumbs and his breath teasingly across glowing nerves. With gentle fingers and tongue, he adored the flower of her body, drawing forth the honeyed nectar that truly gave him life. The heat of his body, solid muscle held in check by kindness, filled her with such a sense of pure rightness that it overflowed and spilled from her eyes. She was a shrine to his heart, a holy icon of love. She wished only to make him feel as sacred as she now did. And so she began to return the touches, to insist upon mutual idolatry, a balance of the power.

He capitulated graciously, glad to teach her the secrets, the mystic nuances of flesh, and she welcomed the knowledge, drowned herself with it. Shaking hands stroked over his arms and chest, absorbing and memorising their strength. Heated lips kissed his neck and torso, tantalising and savoring. Her soft body sliding across his skin as she explored and learned, sent his head spinning. Her warm breath across the flame of his passion, the embrace of her sweet mouth, her soft sighs of delight at his helpless gasps, nearly destroyed him. And he began to feel something truly unique and new. That he was worthy of godhood. Her lips, her hands, her body and her heart had sanctified him.

When finally desire demanded more, she lay blossomed open and ready beneath him as he entered her. Very slowly this time, penetrating by stages, watching her flushed face react to his calculated invasion. Her eyes closed helplessly, her hands clutched feverishly at the pillows, her breath grew ragged and fast. When she arched her neck and licked her lips, he smiled and lowered his head to softly kiss them both.

Now fully immersed in her sweet body, he hovered there for a long moment, enjoying the otherworldly pleasure, as metaphysical images flooded his mind... _the soft flower of life, cradling the hard flame of love... holy nectar, anointing the sceptre of kingship...sacred hystera, divine phallos..._

It was the most phenomenal thing he had ever experienced in all his ancient life. He had been forever altered, humbled and awed.

She was swimming in molten pleasure, almost lost, when the resonance of his deep voice sang through her fluid consciousness, saying, "Persephone... sweetheart... Open your eyes. Just _look_ at me..."

Dazzled beyond capacity by all she felt, she did as he told her, drinking in the sight of him. His powerful body poised above her... _potent... commanding.._. his dark face gazed at her... _tender... reverent.._. his hardness nestled inside her..._ pulsing... possessing..._ She moaned softly, eyes fluttering shut, senses overwhelmed by his presence...

He was above her... within her... all around her... _Forever._..

It was her complete undoing. Without even a single movement from either of them, she climaxed. Her body rocking like a ship in a hurricane, her hands gripping his taut arms for support in the storm, her throat releasing a soft howl of torrential delight and love as she drowned.

He remained posed exactly as he'd been, lifted on his arms, hips pressing into hers, riding the storm out. When her spasms finally ceased, he chuckled in amazement. "My, _my_," he drawled, "that was quite a reaction. I'm most flattered."

She panted shallowly, laughing as well. "Kind of... caught me by surprise."

"Also interrupted what I was going to say," he grinned, holding his position.

"Sorry, won't happen again," she smiled. Then she became intimately aware once more of the fact he was buried deep within her flesh, hard and alive. "Uh, well, at least not for another minute or two... What was it you-"

Her words were cut off by a gasp, as he arched his back and thrust forward, surprising her again. "It'll keep for a while longer," he whispered.

He pressed his body onto hers, she wrapped her legs around him, their mouths fused together in the heat. So they forgot to speak coherent words for many long sweet moments, as their bodies spoke volumes. With sighs and moans, with muscles stretching and grasping, with hearts flaming and minds floating, they drove themselves toward the edge of brilliant madness. Shattering into a million fragments, tumbling, entangling, countless flower petals caught in a blazing whirlwind. And when it finally settled, neither was sure where the one's soul ended and the other's began. And neither really minded.

Later they lay side by side, limbs entwined, a damp delicious lethargy melting into their bodies. Hades turned to face her, and tilted her chin toward him with gentle fingertips against her cheek. He knew he could never be everything she might need, but he would give it his damnedest try to make her happy. Softly, eyes glowing, he said, "I love you, Persephone... I love you, like nothing else in this entire world... That's all I wanted to say earlier."

Trailing her fingers down his long beautiful hand, she smiled. "Oh, is that all?" But she met his eyes with soft seriousness, saying, "I love you too, Hades. I think I was always meant to..." Snuggling closer, her head against his chest, she heard and felt his heart drumming the same beat as her own. "So," she asked, "do I take it you want me to stay?"

"Only forever," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "And maybe a day or two beyond. But after that, if we find things aren't working out, we can renegotiate."

"It's a deal," she whispered, shaking his hand with a grin. Then she held him tightly as they drifted again off to sleep. She had finally found the missing piece that made her whole. And nothing, not even the end of the world itself, would make her let it go.

α

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	13. Mouth to Mouth Resurrection

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which the Underworld undergoes massive renovations, Hades proposes, and Persephone gives a gift that truly does keep on giving (and it's not what you think)._

* * *

**CHAPTER 13 : MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESURRECTION  
**Πνευμα Θεραπεια Θεων

**- o - ONE - o - **

Persephone's fifth, sixth and seventh days in the Underworld were filled with excitement, wonder, and true joy. She was so happy, so fulfilled, and so at peace with her life. Being in love was working miracles for both her and her lover. And she experienced such freedom, in so many ways. Wanting to charm her, Hades lavished her with trinkets, made of jewels and precious metals mined from his kingdom beneath the earth. Although they both knew such things were of no real importance, she playfully draped herself in them, naked but for shining gems and long hair, and dazzled him with her beauty. What truly charmed her was how unhesitatingly he offered full access to anything, anywhere in his kingdom, anytime. But the freedom she gained through loving him, body, mind and soul, was greater than all else. She came to see herself through her lover's eyes, and realized she was strong and smart and adult, and able to accomplish anything she desired.

And Hades was transformed too, seeing things in himself that he'd never dreamed of seeing again. Compassion, gentleness, desirability... things that had died with Leuke. Upon their resurrection from his inner graveyard, he put them to good use and everyone received the benefits. He smiled nearly all the time, laughed with genuine humor, and even began socialising with the mortal souls, trying to understand them better. He truly wanted to change his entire world, inside as well as out. However, anytime Persephone crossed his path, all other activity stopped long enough for him to grab her and engage in a passionate extended kiss. At the _very_ least.

Panic still didn't truly approve of the goddess, and wasn't sure he liked this new-and-improved Hades; it kind of creeped him out. But he was always so edgy that he never liked anything to change, unless he had full input. And you can imagine how often _that_ occurred. Pain, who approved just fine of the goddess and in fact had a bit of a crush on her, eventually shrugged and went on about his business. Frankly, the magenta imp thought it was great how relaxed the Boss was, and wondered if getting his vexatious green partner good and laid might not help his temper, as well.

Aiakos and Rhadamanthys were greatly cheered by finding Minos within the watery depths of Acheron. Once he was brought up to speed on matters, he willingly joined their company. The judging of souls began in earnest, as they set up shop in an unused room on a lower level of the palace. Hades provided tables, chairs, and endless amounts of scrolls and ink for them to record various details they considered important. It would be slow going at first, but they were determined to succeed.

Hades and Persephone together then set about making the rest of the Underworld more comfortable for the souls who were displaced from Styx, Acheron, and the Elysian Fields. Until it was decided fairly who deserved to be where, no one was allowed into paradise nor condemned into hell. And now the souls were all restlessly milling about, unsure where to go. So Hades took up his dikranon, the two-pronged fork of power which symbolized his office, and set about creating a new area of the Underworld, a common place for souls to stay. He blasted away large portions of the rock walls, and carefully transformed the holes into caverns, shelters within the stone. Persephone then grew carpets of grass inside these spaces, and flowers and trees outside. Though only a modest beginning at helping the mortals feel more at home, the souls were appreciative, and came to call this area the _Asphodel Meadows_.

Nyx and Erebos joined in the business, entertaining the souls with stories of the outside world, drawn from their nightly excursions. They found enjoyment interacting with humans more personally. Having been around for so long with so little to do, it was for them almost like coming out of retirement and, in a way, they too felt reborn by the proceedings. Also, they were the first to notice whenever Persephone used her Springtime powers to engender life, that area came to glow with a soft, golden light of its own. The Underworld was becoming an appealingly eclectic blend of light and darkness, life and death, Spring and Winter. Both dead and immortal residents liked the change. It seemed _right_, somehow.

The first few lamiae arrived. Frighteningly beautiful demonesses, an exotic plethora of pale flesh and brightly-colored hair, leathered or feathered wings, straight or curving horns, and long sleek legs and tails. Both Pain and Panic swooned. Panic even momentarily forgot how cranky he was. The imps catered excessively to the lovely demon lasses, finding them rooms to stay in, explaining the changes in the working order of the Underworld, offering whatever the girls desired, _wink-wink_, to make their jobs more enjoyable. Several of the lamiae joined the kings in the judging chamber and became paper-pushing assistants. None of them, however, said yes to a date with the imps. Many had been all but sex slaves to their former masters, so they wanted to abstain from such activities, at least for now. Panic returned to endless sulking. And Pain considered just killing him.

Hades lay long hours in Persephone's arms telling her truthfully, regretfully, of everything in his long and sordid past, every nasty thing he'd plotted and accomplished or failed at. She listened patiently as he unburdened himself, and when she didn't judge him but instead tried to ease his mind, he realized that he had been holding onto his evil deeds as much as he'd held onto Leuke's death. And now he felt freer than ever before. Persephone was his confessor and his absolution, and he loved her completely. He told her as well the hilarious story of Hecate's attempt at his throne, finding it quite ironic now, considering the timing and the things the witch had said. And he also related every detail of the Fates' prediction for their meeting and relationship, and his interpretation of each part. So far, it seemed to have come completely true, and hopefully none of it had been a lie this time.

He then introduced his young lover to his dead wife, and the two got on famously, as expected. The dryad hugged her gleefully, truly glad to meet anyone who loved Hades. Persephone offered to spruce up the alcove of Mnemosyne, since Leuke had decided to stay there a while and it was a bit dreary. Before the first visit was over, they had designed a lovely garden scene and Springtime seemed a permanent fixture. This made the nymph giggle with lusty thoughts, and she proceeded to tell the goddess a few choice details about Hades. Wide-eyed, Persephone smiled and listened eagerly. After a couple hours visiting, the goddess learned a few secrets about human souls as well, leading her to devise a method for helping mortals toward rebirth.

Pyriphlegethon was emptied, and the Furies had resigned themselves to being unemployed, regardless of what Hades claimed (though they sure didn't complain when he sent them off shopping). The myriad souls from the Vortex were gathered into a group, and Persephone spent half a day talking to as many of them as possible. Since they had suffered long and terrible tortures in the fiery water, she thought they were most in need of release and relief, and therefore should all be allowed to leave the Underworld, sans judgment. Regardless of what sort of life they'd led, they had already been more than suitably punished. Hades agreed with her decision, and told her to try what she could to free their souls.

She took them to Lethe, a long line of them. And one by one she touched them upon their hearts, searching out the divine spark within. It was present in each, though weak from centuries of pain and suffering. Reaching out with her powers of growth and birth, she re-kindled the fire inside them, brought it back to life, just like the seed she felt they represented. Smiling, glad she was right about such an important thing, she then directed the first group to walk into Lethe. They were baptized in the Pool of Oblivion, purified of pain and cleansed of negativity. And one by one they smiled gratefully, shimmered into brightness and vanished. The remaining souls who approached her for release bowed before her, worshipful of her kindness and beauty. Even partaking of Lethe water, they vowed to remember her in their next lives. The process of reincarnation had begun on a good note.

**- o - TWO - o - **

Demeter passed the fifth, sixth and seventh days in the rich household, happily working magic over the small boy, whose family was unaware. But when they discovered her performing a certain dangerous ritual, they freaked out and screamed bloody murder. So once again, the earth goddess was filled with anger, and a small measure of guilt.

However, she had calmed down considerably after spending days with a sweet baby in her arms, and merely demanded a new temple be built in her honor. The surrounding area was called Eleusis, the place of arrival, which she found appropriate. She felt at home here, more so than on Olympus now. But until the temple was finished, she must continue to search for her daughter. And so she left the bewildered and fearful mortals, scurrying busily to fulfill her wishes, as she once again traveled the countryside on her quest.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Hecate passed the fifth, sixth and seventh days impatiently. Nothing new for her. The spell she was working was the most complex thing she'd ever undertaken. But then again, she'd never attempted to attack a god. The spell required a great deal of willpower and mental strain, as well as a waiting period of nine days, a cosmically important number, to build to full potency. The wait was nearly over. And she was champing at the bit, crankier than ever from lack of sleep.

While waiting, she had also managed to arrange a very incriminating view of what was happening in the Underworld. She would take this tainted, twisted vision to Demeter personally once the spell was ready. And every day, she still watched events in Hades' kingdom with acrimonious stares. From the snippets she caught, and all the strange people she saw passing through the throne chamber... things were getting downright _bizarre_, even for the Underworld.

**- o - FOUR - o -**

On the eighth day since her entrance to the Underworld, Persephone decided to try a little trick she'd learned from Leuke. She went looking for Hades and found him in the throne chamber, seemingly unaware of her entrance, so she snuck up behind him, smiling.

He hovered before the new map he'd constructed on the great table, shoulders hunched slightly, arms spread wide, hands propped on the edge. The map had been converted from a view of the world above to the one below, every part of the Underworld being represented in detail. There was a replica of the palace, and figurines of Cerberus, Charon in his boat, the imps, the Furies and the new demonesses, the three judges, and himself and Persephone. It was kind of cute, having those last two holding hands.

Now he stood pondering where next to develop. He knew that there would be bad souls to punish. And while some would be sent to Pyriphlegethon into the care of the Furies, he also believed there were bound to be a few crimes that deserved extra stringent castigation. Perhaps a special place should be built for the worst offenders, a kind of high-security Tartarus...

He became aware of Persephone's presence, when she moved to stand behind him. He smiled warmly as she placed her gentle hands on top of his, then slid them slowly up the length of his arms. She wrapped her own arms loosely around his torso, and relaxed her weight against his tilted back, nearly lying atop him as he leaned over the table. Resting her head between his shoulder blades, she hummed a contented sigh.

"Comfortable?" he chuckled with a raised brow.

"Very," she said, smiling. "You feel wonderful. So warm..." She turned her head toward his spine, and her breath penetrated his clothes, making a hot spot on his skin. Then she lifted her chin and, lips only inches from his flaming hair, whispered against it, "I want you, Hades..." The exhalation of air fluttered his fire, literally giving him chills.

The reaction upon him was powerful. She had found his greatest erogenous zone, and the most intense thing that could be done to it was to blow on his flame, teasing it, as though blowing on a candle flame, causing it to shudder violently but not to extinguish. Leuke must have told her about it. He groaned long and slow, deep in his throat.

She smiled wryly. Then she blew, very slowly, right up the back of his neck and straight into the fire. His hair rustled, crackled, parted before the breeze, and rushed back again. The tip of the fire was becoming almost white-hot now.

"Oooh," he almost gasped, then growled playfully over his shoulder at her. "Seph, you are gonna be in _such_ trouble, if you don't stop."

"Really? What will you do?" she asked, her breath still taunting him.

"Get off of me and you'll find out pretty quick," came the low, smiling answer.

She released him and stood back, then when he turned around to grab her, she giggled and ran to the other side of the map table. Laughing, she declared, "I'm only in trouble if I get caught."

Grinning demoniacally, Hades pushed off with his hands, sprang into the air and levitated high over the table in a rush of smoke. He flipped over and thumped onto the floor behind her, trapping her against the edge of the table with his arms firmly placed around her. Lips only a fraction from hers, eyes piercing, he purred, "You're in trouble."

"I didn't know you could fly," she said, genuinely amazed.

"I can do many things," he drawled, "some of which I'd like to demonstrate now, if I may..." Whereupon he proceeded to grope, fondle, smooch and grind against her most enthusiastically, chuckling wickedly all the while.

She reciprocated with glee, delighted the trick had worked so well. But after a few minutes more, she was writhing and panting desperately. "Hades... oh gods, _please_, take me," she moaned, "now... right _here_..."

He hesitated, a bit flustered. Privacy for such things was always foremost to him. "Anybody could walk in here, you know, anytime..."

She grabbed him in a most sensitive area and massaged in a way that he couldn't hope to ignore. Grinning, she murmured, "Then you'd better be _quick_ about it, hmm?"

Propping her hips on the table, fumbling clothing aside in strategic areas, he drove into her and she clutched fiercely to him, and they made short, delectably explosive love, scattering figurines carelessly to the floor in their haste to be joined.

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Hecate nearly bit her tongue off at the sight.

And damn it all, the gods were so _obviously_ mutually enjoying themselves, that she might not even be able to use the scene for blackmail. Persephone had actually instigated the whole thing, the little tart. Some virgin goddess _she_ was. The witch could hardly wait to rat them out.

Her hellhounds had been keeping an eye on Demeter the last few days, flying back to report her whereabouts. The goddess had settled in one place for a while, but then moved on. It would be harder to find her now, but Hecate was determined to deliver her message posthaste.

It was now the eighth day. Her spell would be ready by tomorrow. It was time to begin putting the plans in motion. She was sick of waiting. Sick of watching such perverted sappiness. Sick of not having what she felt she so rightly deserved. Pinning her dark grey chlanidion at her shoulders, which shuddered for reasons she wouldn't acknowledge, she grabbed the pre-prepared mystic torch and stalked from the grotto.

Unfortunately, she missed out on the most important details of the scene. Which, if she'd witnessed it, might have caused her to abandon her plans and take up a new career.

**- o - SIX - o - **

Persephone sighed and stretched contentedly, and adjusted her chitonion to cover her thighs a bit more, as Hades collapsed onto his knees before her. He panted softly, a tired smile on his face. "_Damn_, babe," he laughed easily, "you really make me do crazy things, you know that?"

She caressed his cheek, smiling into his eyes. "If you don't like it, I'll stop."

"Oh, don't you _dare_ stop," he grinned. Leaning forward, he pulled her close, face nestled between her perfect breasts with a soft sigh. He was so happy, so fulfilled, so at peace with his life. He could promise her damn near the universe, and mean it.

And as long as he was down on his knees, might as well go the full nine. He cleared his throat and put a little distance between them, gazing up into her face. "Seph, honey... Since you're staying _anyway_, and since you _already_ rule half my kingdom... don't you think it makes sense to just marry me and be the true Queen of the Underworld? Take your time deciding, no rush-"

His words were cut off by her lips on his own. "Oh, Hades," she whispered against his mouth as tears began to prick her eyes, "I love you... I _will_ make the Underworld into a paradise for you... and I will make you the king you _deserve_ to be..."

"Is that a yes?" he grinned hugely.

"Oh, gods, _yes_!" she cried out, clutching him closer.

He held her tightly, letting her tender passion rain kisses on his face and neck. Eyes closed, head swimming with the immenseness of his devotion, he murmured in wonder, "I would do anything for you, my love. Give anything. Absolutely anything..."

**- o - SEVEN - o - **

The Fates were determined that he wouldn't have to put that to the test just yet. Although they could influence many things, they couldn't handle everything. They would never admit it but they had no sway at all over certain beings, such as nymphs and demons. Only gods and mortals and even monsters could the Fates manipulate successfully, due to the intrinsic connectedness of divine fire they shared, the bloodline of Chaos and the Titans. And sometimes even that could go badly awry.

This time there were too many players involved, and they were all so damned strong-willed it was impossible to manipulate each of them quickly enough. There was one last detail Persephone needed to attend to, before all hell broke loose.

Atropos directed Clotho's threads, because this time the future couldn't wait.

**- o - EIGHT - o - **

Persephone was helping Hades gather up the figurines they had jostled, placing them back on the table. She smiled dreamily, warm and soft inside with the thought of marrying him, bonding herself to him body and soul forever, bearing his children. He was incredible... so impassioned and dominant, yet so vulnerable, so vibrantly intelligent, and so damned utterly male it made her knees weak. Had she ever conceived of the idea, she supposed he was just the sort of god she would've looked for all along. Certainly nothing like Apollo... But until she'd met Hades, her desire for a man had been shut off, buried somewhere down deep inside her mind, un-looked at, un-thought of. But once awakened, that part had bloomed into verdant life.

And the things she'd learned about him would have scared anyone else away, but she saw him for what he could be, what he wanted to be. What he _was_. He was dark and mysterious and always would be, but also capable of greatness. And he deserved the chance to prove it. Somehow, she vowed, she'd help him achieve that goal. He no longer desired world conquest, but she knew deep down he still wanted something more than what he'd been allotted. It was changing the hearts and minds of the world that really mattered, having them see his true colors... the light of his _soul_...

And now suddenly, from nowhere (yeah, right), an interesting idea struck her. Her eyes lit up brightly. "Oh," she said softly in surprise. "I wonder if I could..."

Hades turned slightly toward her, seeing her expression of surprise and excitement. "If you could what?" he asked. Whatever it was, he was ready to give it to her in abundance, and that feeling made him smile.

"Well... I wonder if your aura can be restored," she said, still looking faraway. "The Fates' poem said _'only at the edge of his world will he feel the pain of his suffering begin to heal'_, right? You determined that the edge of the world was a place of life, Nysa, because your power is death. And that I was here to help the Underworld stop suffering." She turned now to face him, her eyes intensely focused. "But what if it's _me_ they meant, that _I'm_ the _'edge of the world'_? I already fit the part of _'in brightness grows a dark flower, filled with never-before-seen power'_. When I entered the Elysian Fields, I became that even more so. What if the line about _'in death is renewal'_ doesn't just represent what I have done for the Underworld? What if I'm meant to heal your aura, to heal your suffering? What if I'm meant to bring renewal to _you_, to Death Itself?"

The intensity in her eyes made his heart leap. But he shook his head and sighed. "I wish, honey, I wish. But this isn't just a boo-boo. I can't tell you where it hurts and have it kissed better." Then he grinned archly, grabbing her bottom and pulling her against his pelvis, nuzzling her neck with smiling lips. "But you can still kiss anything you want, I sure won't complain."

Smirking, she stepped away from him and crossed her arms. "I've found that I can re-ignite the fire in mortal souls, and I've come to believe it's similar to our own auras. After all, human souls came from the gods, so we're supposed to be related. Maybe I can do this. Maybe you underestimate my powers." She tried to sound imperious, but it was hard when he was leering so playfully at her, and reaching out for the most distracting areas of her body. She tried to swat his hands away, smiling. "I mean, we don't know the full extent of what I can do yet."

"I'm trying to find out, here." He grinned wider, and stroked a long finger across the bare top curve of one breast.

"Cut that out," she laughed, twisting and getting out of arm's reach, "I'm seriously trying to _help_ you!"

"Help me by staying still," he snickered, grasping her hands to pull her toward him again. But he was surprised when they connected. Her hands were giving off a white radiance, and almost too hot to touch, and he dropped them in surprise. Her powers were manifesting in another new way. He could cast fire from his hands, and now he wondered if she could as well.

"Please, Hades," she said softly. "All I want is to heal you. I love you, and I want you to be _whole_ again, in every way. You deserve it, my beloved..."

He met her gaze, so sweet and angelic. Really looking at her now, he saw how much she had changed. Her skin was pale candleflame gold, her ember hair was dancing firelight, her eyes were blue-gasfires of pure love. She had all but become a living flame, and her nearly star-white aura was filling the room, too bright for his eyes. He almost fell to his knees again, to worship her, her power awed him so. At that moment, he truly believed she could do anything she desired. So he nodded, mutely.

She pushed him to sit on the edge of the table, then closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hair swirled lightly, flowing in the eddy of power, as she cupped her hands together before her. A ball of light grew between her palms, pooling energy, a glittering white-gold, and gradually took the shape of a flaming flower. The flower pulsed with life, slowly unfolding its blazing petals, and its heart was the purest white ever expressed.

Standing before him, she carefully placed her palms over his heart and solar plexus, and her power rushed into him... _cool and fresh as a Spring breeze... warm and sweet as honey... pure as true love.._ It was the very essence of who and what she was. He felt it deep inside, stirring new life in his tired old soul, just as she had renewed his heart. It flowed... _a powerful typhoon... a gentle whisper.._. through every molecule of his being... explored everything inside him, yet never judged...

Then it found a tiny fragment of his aura that had lain dormant all along... attached itself to this small seed of his power... _nudged it... warmed it... caressed it... encouraged it... _And he felt it respond slowly, waking from its slumber... _filling with life and light... tingling with love... stretching... growing..._ bursting free of its confinement... _at last..._

He could feel it. His skin began to pulse with the return of his full power. Disbelieving, he opened his eyes. Her aura had dimmed to normal, becoming more golden than white, but there was still radiant light in the room. _A tint of palest blue._

She was smiling at him, joy and tears mixing on her beautiful face. She now knew all his secrets, knew him better than anyone else, had knowledge that almost broke her trembling heart. There was a part of him which could never be healed, never returned, something Kronos had killed so long ago it was truly irreversible. Something even she could never hope to revive. He would never be as complete as either of them might wish. But she still smiled. _For him. For her love._

"Your aura," she said softly, "was just like a human soul. The seed was only sleeping "

He stared at his hands, seeing the now-unfamiliar blue-white glow emanating from his skin. What he thought he'd never see again. The divine fire had been reborn. Springtime had brought Winter a fresh new life. "It was gone forever... dead...," he breathed.

"Apparently not, just dampened down by the effects of Kokytus. You never drank enough water to totally kill it," she corrected, then grinned with triumph. "Besides... _'If there's even a tiny spark of life left, I can find it and revive it'_. That's Nature Goddess Rule #42."

Hades laughed, his heart ready to explode with love for this extraordinary goddess. Eyes slightly misty, but warm on her beautiful face, he brushed away her tears and said, "As far as I'm concerned, you're a damned miracle worker."

And he did grab her then, no excuses accepted, pulling her into a joyous kiss which quickly became urgent. The feeling of potent life coursing through his body had aroused more than just his aura. This time, as he laid her across the table and made sweet love to her, he wouldn't have cared if Demeter herself walked into the room.

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	14. Truth Takes a Holiday

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hecate unleashes a buttload of lies-disguised-as-truth to Demeter, who promptly decides to kill the whole world. (contains singing)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 14 : TRUTH TAKES A HOLIDAY  
**Μεγαλος Λιπος Ψευδοκηρυ

**- o - ONE - o -**

Demeter had stopped wandering briefly, far from civilization this time, and was holed up in a small cave on Mount Elaeus when Iris found her. Zeus had sent the young goddess out to try and retrieve the elder goddess. Fat chance she could manage it alone, Iris figured. All of Olympus by now had heard about the peculiar things Demeter was doing during her search, and frankly they were worried about her state of mind. So one by one the gods had sought her out, tried to persuade her to return home and calm down, tried to convince her that Persephone would turn up soon enough. All had failed. So Iris didn't expect her results to be different.

And indeed the earth goddess rebuked the colorful messenger, sending her away with only one thing to report. That she would not return to Olympus, nor would she ever stop searching until Persephone was found, period, end of discussion. Iris sighed and lifted her rainbow wings, departing from the cave.

On her way across the countryside, she saw the setting sun and zipped over to catch up with the fiery gold chariot. "Hey, Apollo," she called out to the driver, "can you do me a little favor, sunshine?"

The brawny god smiled at the slender young goddess, admiring her soft sky-blue skin and short cloud-white hair. No god yet had managed to pin her down long enough to enjoy her company. The girl was faster than Hermes. But perhaps she would hold still for five minutes, if he helped her out. "Sure thing, fleet-foot," he drawled. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, um, you and Demeter have always been on pretty good terms, right?" she began, then shrugged. "So okay, like, I was kinda hoping _you_ might go talk to her, see if she'll listen to reason. We're all really worried about her, y'know, with the things she's done lately... It's getting kinda _creepy_ and stuff..."

Apollo nodded and sighed. He had taken it upon himself to scout for Persephone personally, over the last week. If he'd found her before her mother did, he had planned to give her a ride back to her mother's island, with a personal touch or two. And of course Demeter, having her daughter back at last, would have been so grateful she wouldn't have complained too much if he'd taken advantage of the situation -just a _little_ bit mind you- along the way home. Now, however, was not a good time to test her patience. Apparently no one had seen Persephone. At all. And it really was a bit disconcerting, to think a goddess could disappear so completely.

"Sure, Iris, I'll go talk to her," he agreed. "Maybe I can help."

"Thanks, sugar," she smiled perkily, zipping closer just long enough to brush a feather-light peck of a kiss against his surprised cheek. "You're a peach. Seeya later!" Winking one sunny golden eye, she vanished in a kaleidoscopic blur, just before he had time to reach out and pull her to him.

Sighing, realising that he'd probably gotten far more from her than any other god had, and thinking that maybe it meant he know stood a reasonable chance later, he let it go at that. After getting to Olympus and parking and unhitching the sun, he hopped back in the chariot and drove Helios' fiery horses off to the cave where the earth goddess sat alone.

**- o - TWO - o -**

It took Hecate until the late evening of the ninth day to locate Demeter. The goddess had wandered erratically in her search, and following her trail was a bit frustrating, since she tended to manifest from place to place in a giant flower instead of traveling by more conventional methods. But at last Hecate had found her, hiding in a cave of all places. How amusingly ironic, considering where her daughter was. However, the goddess was not alone. Hecate stole softly up to the cave entrance and eavesdropped shamelessly.

Apollo was surprised by the goddess' appearance. She was looking much the worse for wear, having not touched nectar or ambrosia in days. In the chariot was a small basket where he kept snacks for his long daily journey, and he retrieved the items and insisted she eat and drink at least a little. Then he tried to cajole her into returning to Olympus, assuring her that he would help her in any way possible to locate Persephone, saying that he hoped when the girl was found, he might yet complete the date they'd arranged.

The witch smiled to herself darkly upon hearing this. How delightful. There was not only a worried mother to dupe, but a potentially jealous rival for old Hades to face as well. This deal just got sweeter and sweeter.

Demeter was still carrying the ragged piece of pink cloth that had been Persephone's headdress, and was telling Apollo for the thousandth time about the burned shrub in the dark grove. "I don't understand it. Where could she have gone? Why did she leave? And why would there be such a mess left behind in her grove? I'm sure there's _more_ to this than what Zeus claims," Demeter scoffed. "I know my daughter, and she wouldn't just _run off_ without telling someone. And I know she wouldn't simply disobey me..." The earth goddess sighed. Doubts were plaguing her mind, but she refused to address them. "I just wish I had some clue."

"Perhaps I can help you..."

The mink-fur voice echoed softly in the cavern, and the two gods raised their heads in surprise. They hadn't even been aware of anyone's presence, which was unusual. Seeing who it was, however, they understood why. The witch was good at masking her presence. Sneering slightly, they acknowledged her. "Hecate, Queen of the Night," Apollo droned disapprovingly.

She entered the cave and made obeisance fluidly in their direction. "Greetings, far-shining Apollo, lord of the lyre! And noble Demeter, mistress of the fields! I am here only to be of aid to you in your quest."

Demeter looked down her nose. Few gods agreed with how the witch was spending her immortality, but she definitely had the I-am-but-a-humble-servant-to-the-divine routine down pat. "What do _you_ know of my quest?"

"I know much, bright-crowned Demeter. _Too_ much," the witch said, looking serious and saddened. "I have been witness to such as even I can hardly bear to see..." She trembled slightly, leaning heavily on her torch staff and closing her eyes. "I have searched for you, for days that seemed almost endless, to bring this news. And at last I have found you, after traversing the whole of Greece, though footsore and weary I be..."

The two gods glanced at each other with dry expressions. _Sheesh, who wrote this woman's materia_l?

"What is it?" Demeter demanded, growing tired of the show.

"Oh bounteous goddess," the witch said, turning her head slightly away with tragic implication, "I bring you news of your daughter Persephone..."

This got their attention all right. Demeter leaped up, her tired face alight now with gladness. "Thank the gods! Where _is_ she? What is she _doing_?"

"...I bring you _dreadful_ news of your daughter Persephone," Hecate emphasized, changing the goddess' tune in mid-lilt.

The earth goddess cringed, holding her breath. She knew suddenly, she would never be prepared enough for whatever she was about to hear. But she said, "What are you saying? What's happened to her?"

Hecate milked the dramatic moment like she worked on a dairy farm. She slanted her pale eyes away as if remembering the horror she'd witnessed, then turned back again, eyes shimmering as if on the verge of tears. "The most awful thing imaginable... She's been _abducted_...," she paused for a bolstering breath, "...by _Hades_!"

For half a moment, Demeter frowned in mild disbelief. Then her mind brought forth the image of her daughter's torn and mangled clothes, a burnt and blackened spot in her grove... and she gasped, staggering. She couldn't, wouldn't believe it. And yet... Persephone was nowhere to be seen on the earth or above it, and no one could see below the earth. It couldn't be possible that he had... that he would... _No... NO.._.

Apollo stood, comprehending the thoughts racing like wild horses through the goddess' mind, and he gripped her wide shoulders in comfort and support. He addressed the witch sternly, but more calmly than the goddess was capable of just then. "How do you know this, Hecate?"

Well aware the tastiest lies were served up with a liberal peppering of truth, she told them. "I have been in the Underworld before, and while there I used my magic flame, which allows me then to sometimes look back to that location. These last few days, I've seen very... _disturbing_ images." Here she shuddered meaningfully, then turned sorrowful eyes upon Demeter. "I have seen your daughter held there, the sweet and lovely Persephone clutched tight in the very arms of Hades himself..."

The goddess trembled, her shuddering breath almost a wheeze of panic. Apollo spoke for her again, though hesitantly. "Tell us... what happened."

Hecate raised her torch, and let it float free. "I'll show you," she said softly, "but you won't like what you see..." The mystic fire danced, forming the images she had so carefully selected from actual scenes. Taken out of context as they were, they could fit any hideous scenario she envisioned. And what she showed them was beyond hideous. Then she made it worse, punctuated by a song of darkness and fear...

_Alone she sat, without a care__  
__summer flowers in her hair_  
_so innocent, so unaware_  
_thus beauty passed her day_  
_Never knowing how he watched her_  
_that beastly old debaucher_  
_who determined he would rock her_  
_world, the hardest way_

First Persephone's image showed, all flowered-tresses and doe-eyes. This view was enhanced with some special effects, since no one looked that ridiculous. It was followed by Hades' image, the scene of his eyes perking up with interest at Hecate herself (though unseen) upon first entering the throne chamber.

The fire soon showed the image of his chariot sweeping away from the island, with the girl inside, though seen far away. Then it was followed by a close-up of Hades, covered in red flame and screaming in outrage, though this had been directed at the unseen Fates.

_From beneath the cold hard ground__  
__came a fearful rumbling sound_  
_and sweet innocence soon found_  
_herself at fate's dark whim_  
_Her clothing, he left tattered_  
_her tender mind was shattered_  
_but her pleas, they never mattered_  
_to one so cruel as him_

Now the most damaging sight, a pale and shaken Persephone sitting on his throne with her chitonion ripped up to the thigh, though of course by the shard of rock inside Kokytus. Hades knelt before her, caressing her face, with a look of what must be assumed false concern.

_From brightness above__  
__trapped in darkness below_  
_he may think that it's love_  
_but it's just a sick show_

Here they were shone standing again in the throne room, speaking to an unseen Nyx and Erebos, until Persephone fainted into Hades' arms. After which he carried her off, no doubt to have his evil way with her.

_He saw her, desired her__  
__he snatched her away_  
_corruption... seduction..._  
_the devil's spent his pay_  
_He holds her, controls her_  
_she fights, and yet she must_  
_unwilling... fulfilling..._  
_his fiendish awful lust_

The images came faster and choppier. Subliminally, fragments of the last scene Hecate witnessed was included, that of the two gods passionately embraced on the map table. Although not viewed coherently, they would sink, burning, into Demeter's fevered subconscious. Hecate let the images continue on a repeating loop, as she continued to sing.

_Now she's weeping bitter tears__  
__but she'll recover, don't you fear_  
_though she'll need therapy for years_  
_this crime can be atoned_  
_If she endures his viper's sting_  
_she can live through anything_  
_there's hope yet you can bring_  
_her safely back home_

_For this child, so frail and weak__  
__once so blessed, pure and meek_  
_hell-bent vengeance you should seek_  
_let him reap what he's sown_  
_If the gods act en masse_  
_they'll head him off at the pass_  
_and kick Old Smokie's ass_  
_gonna blow his house down_

Approaching the gods, making the images more vivid in the flame -Persephone more frightened and childlike, Hades more vile, depraved and flaming- the witch looked the weeping goddess straight in the eyes and sang in a forceful manner.

_Descend on the darkness__  
__lay waste to the beast_  
_rescue the damsel_  
_before beauty is deceased_

_For life, for liberty__  
__for purity lost_  
_defilement... revilement..._  
_it's the ultimate cost_  
_For truth, for justice_  
_and the Olympian way_  
_eliminate... obliterate..._  
_the devil... must... pay!_

The cave echoed with heavy silence. Demeter was nearly going into shock, tears streaming down her rounded cheeks, her eyes glassy with grief and hysteria. Her precious child hadn't run away. She'd been kidnapped. Dragged off to the Underworld. Tortured. Raped. And if not for Hecate finally locating her, no one would ever have known...

Apollo shook with dismay. Poor sweet Persephone, debased, degraded, deflowered... by another, before he could manage it himself. He had a fleeting thought (which, to his credit, he at least _tried_ to squelch) that he didn't mind damaged goods, but it appalled him to imagine being sloppy seconds to the wretched Lord of the Dead. Nevertheless, it was still a great shock. "Well, this just blows me away," the musical god declared. "I mean, Hades is by no means a shining example of morality, but this... It's way beyond anything I'd have thought even _he_ was capable of trying. Simply outrageous."

Hecate nodded with a frown, then dropped her other ammunition into the fray, quite casually. "Yes, I agree, it's absolutely horrible... But thankfully he hasn't done to her what he did to poor Hercules. At least not _yet_..."

The two gods paused in venting their feelings to stare at the witch in confusion. Apollo asked hesitantly, "Hercules? What do you mean?"

Hecate answered with apparently sincere guilelessness. "You know, the thing about how he kidnapped the child and turned him mortal... But... oh, I thought... everyone _knew_ that...?" Gasping slightly, she covered her mouth and managed to look shocked at being the only one privy to such a stunningly huge secret, then to look guilty for having burdened them with more anxiety, though they deserved to know of course.

The deities stood stock-still for a mere fraction of a second, as this information processed itself. Demeter personally went through all the stages: Shock/Denial... _It simply isn't possible that one of our own has such a power, nor would they do such a terrible thing to an innocent child. _Anger/Depression... _Then again if anyone did, it would be Hades, and he certainly doesn't give a damn who he hurts along the way to getting what he wants._ Understanding/Acceptance... _Well, it's too late to change the past, but Hades will definitely be punished soon enough._ And right back around to Shock/Denial again... _Oh dear gods! He's got my daughter, and he has the power to kill her!_

Then Demeter howled, a dreadful hollow wail of agony that chilled even Hecate's heart a little. The goddess' leafy headdress expressed her emotion, wilting, fading to yellow-and-brown, dry and lifeless. And what the goddess of the seasons and growing things felt, the earth felt as well. The sky grew cloudy and dark, even though dawn had just arrived to spread light on this, the tenth day. A frigid wind blew into the cave entrance, nearly extinguishing the witch's torch. Trees across the valley outside the cave began to shake, their colors bleeding away, their leaves shedding like confetti.

Apollo clenched his fists in fury. "He's gone completely _insane_!" Turning to the earth goddess, he said firmly, "Never fear, dear Demeter. Once Olympus hears of Hades' transgressions, I am sure we will exact revenge. For you, and for your lovely daughter." And he led her, sobbing and moaning about her sweet helpless innocent child, out to his chariot and away.

As they flew higher, the first snowflakes fell from the black August skies.

Hecate still stood in the cave, ignored and left behind. But she was deeply satisfied with how things had gone. Her performance should have netted her a Mnemmy Award. She smiled darkly, and muttered, "What fools these gods be..."

Her plan was unfolding perfectly, and she now had several angles from which to work. Demeter's reaction, affecting the entire world, would force the gods to demand Persephone's return. Whether Hades released her willingly or war was waged on the Underworld, she didn't care, because to the victor (her) would go the spoils either way. Poor stupid lovesick Hades, deprived of his sweetheart, would either pine away for her and become even weaker than he already was, or else would foolishly try to go after her. And if he did that, he was fucking barbecue. And Hecate planned be the first one to tie on her bib and tuck in to the feast.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Rhodope was frightened. She had come back from a five-day visit with friends in the Mediterranean Sea, and found that Winter was setting in. A ridiculously cold and snowy one at that. It rarely snowed in Greece. Maybe she'd taken a wrong turn near Sicily...? Shaking her head, absolutely positive it hadn't been _that_ darned long since she left for the trip, she hurried to Nysa to see what was happening. After all, she was friends with the goddess of at least one season, so it stood to reason said goddess would know what the hell was going on with the other seasons.

When she swam onto the island, she found her usual stream covered with thick ice. This made her quite nervous. She dug up a sharp rock from the bottom of the stream bed and cracked a hole big enough to peep her head through. And became terrified. There were piling snowdrifts against the trees, which were being whipped by winds just short of a full-blown blizzard. It was nearly impossible to see the entire grove, but the snow was easily two feet deep already. She pulled herself onto the ice, sliding on her knees until she reached the snowy bank.

Huddled against the wind, she stumbled out of the grove and eventually found many of the oceanides and nereides, all panicking and hysterical inside a small cave. One of them, a krenaiad, had crawled into her a fountain, now frozen solid, and was refusing to come out until things calmed down. After questioning a few others, Rhodope learned the rumors and was even more shocked by their words than by the insane weather.

Everyone thought Persephone had been abducted and brutally violated by Hades, but she knew that simply couldn't be true. She was an eyewitness to the leave-taking. Plus she _knew_ Hades wasn't so evil as to do that. Rhodope had family that included dryads, and those nymphs had known Leuke herself, so they all knew well of the deep and abiding love he had for his long-dead wife. He simply_ wasn't_ the heartless monster they now pictured him to be.

Rhodope had promised to keep the young goddess' liaison a secret... but now the secret was out for everyone to see. Only problem was they saw it completely askew, and because of that the world would suffer at Demeter's hand. She shivered, not as much from the cold but from the thought she had.

Nysa might be protected from death, but the world was in terrible danger.

Knowing she had no choice, and hoping Persephone would see the truth of that, she raised her freezing arms and desperately beseeched Hermes for his aid.

ξ

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	15. Psychopomp & Circumstance

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hermes desperately needs eye bleach, Hades unwillingly tells his beloved to go home to mommy dearest, and Persephone makes a very stupid plan. (contains singing)  
_

* * *

**CHAPTER 15 : PYSCHOPOMP & CIRCUMSTANCE**  
Ψυχητηξης

**- o - ONE - o -**

Hermes usually liked his job as messenger of the gods. But days like this made him give serious consideration to early retirement.

He had just spoken to a oceanid on Nysa, who informed him of the true circumstances of Persephone's disappearance. The nymph told him that the young goddess was bemoaning an arranged date with Apollo, when Hades had unexpectedly shown up. He'd been polite and respectful, had presented her with a small gift, the two gods had talked, even flirted a bit, and in the end the goddess willingly invited herself to visit the Underworld for three days. When Persephone hadn't come back, the nymph assumed the goddess was having too much fun. Okay, so maybe 'fun'' and 'the Underworld' didn't usually go together, but anything was possible, right? However, the fact remained that Hades had _absolutely not_ kidnapped Persephone, nor had she fought him or seemed afraid of him, which relieved Hermes greatly to know.

The messenger god had suspected the truth was far removed from popular opinion, especially considering the news had come from Hecate, but having proof of it eased his soul a bit. He knew Hades was capable of many evil things, but hurting a girl so deeply just wasn't one of them. And Persephone could hardly be blamed for wanting any excuse to escape a date with "Apollo the Octopus", though who knew why she'd chosen to stay beyond three days. Well, okay, Hades did have _some_ charm when he tried, and probably had shown the girl a pleasant enough time. Unfortunately, Hermes was now the only god who actually knew or cared about the truth, and so it was up to him to warn the realm of the dead of impending doom. More doom than normal, that is.

Hermes had been to the Underworld many times, being the occasional conductor of lost souls who couldn't find their own way downstairs to the Big Basement. It wasn't the greatest place to go, but it was sometimes his responsibility. He wondered idly if Hades had set any traps for intruders, since his failed attempt to move up in the cosmos. The dark god might well be planning to prevent everyone uninvited from entering his domain. After all even Hermes, the closest thing to an actual pal Hades had on Olympus, had been put in magic chains.

Flying over the River Styx, he vaguely noticed things looked different, but he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong. But at least there were no traps. Then he zipped past Cerberus, who set up a furious triplicate barking. Enough to wake the dead which, of course, it usually did. Nothing new here. He flew over Acheron, which was definitely different now. There were very few souls left floating in it. Weird. Were they cleaning house or something?

Then a golden light to the side drew his attention. In the alcove of Leuke's tree, there was now a lush garden. And more incredibly, Leuke herself. Her smiling ghost waved hello to her old buddy Hermes. As his jaw dropped in shock, he neglected to watch where he was going and slammed into a stalactite. _Okay, that was a unique trap_, he thought, as he dizzily slid down the stone and belly-flopped into the river below.

Charon rowed by and saw the blue god floating face-down in the water. The skeletal demon sighed, and would have rolled his eyes back in their sockets... if he'd had eyes. It was hard to roll just sockets, but he somehow managed to accomplish the look of put-upon martyr. He used the barge pole to fish Hermes out, then dumped him unceremoniously on the shore near Pain and Panic, who sniggered loudly at him.

Hermes lifted his head and realized he wasn't lying on the usual cold stone floor of the Underworld. He was lying on grass and flowers which seemed oddly real and alive, felt warm as if they were blooming happily under the sun. Adjusting his red-tinted spectacles, he gawked in surprise. Then he saw the two imps, and got to his feet and right to the point. "Heya, cats. Where can I find the Head Honcho?"

Panic shrugged. "Who knows? Last I saw of him, he was out back by the Lethe Pool-" A godly blue whirlwind gusted by, knocking the green imp into the river before he could finish the sentence by saying _"-sucking face with the sweet young thing he's been banging all week."_ Sputtering and cursing, Panic crawled up the river bank, shaking off the water distastefully. "Well, that was certainly rude," he sneered.

Pain snickered. "Gee whiz, two baths in one week? That's some kinda record for you, isn't it? Maybe now you can get a date."

Glaring at his magenta partner, Panic snarled, "Aw, fuck you..."

Pain ignored him this time. They'd had enough fights the last few days to last them both a lifetime. "So, d'ya think we should go after Hermes and warn him? He might freak out if he sees 'em smooching or something." Pain wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, but didn't look the least bit inclined to move from the spot.

Panic plopped down on the floor, crossed his arms in a snit, and drawled, "Serves him right, if Hades roasts his ass for interrupting."

**- o - TWO - o - **

Screeching to a halt in midair over Lethe, Hermes found no sign of either Hades or Persephone. But he did see other things he would never have imagined. There were souls everywhere, just wandering around loose. He knew Hades liked to run a tight ship, keeping souls confined and out of his flame. Now they seemed to be free-range. And there were trees and flowers everywhere. Did Persephone hire on as a re-decorator, or _what_? Hermes tilted his winged helmet back and scratched his head in puzzlement.

He flew elsewhere to continue his search, and came upon an even more incredible sight. There were encampments of souls all along the walls, teeming with people who looked oddly happy. What the hell had happened to the _Underworld_? The old familiar pit of suffering and torment since the dawn of humanity?

Then he saw the Elysian Fields, and nearly fell into the river again in alarm. The force-field was changed. The whole place was cleared of heroes. Instead there were demons, female demons of the lamiae persuasion, setting up campsites inside. Of course Hermes didn't know it, but this was in preparation for the souls now being judged worthy. Bewildered, he wondered if he'd taken a wrong turn and wound up in a totally different Underworld, in some freaky alternate dimension, or something.

Somewhat hesitant, he tried the palace next. When he passed the new judges' chambers, where souls sat flipping through magazines in a makeshift waiting area... he didn't slow down, not even wanting to try and figure that one out. When he reached the throne room and saw the Furies, unpacking shopping bags from trendy clothiers and chattering in girlish delight as they tried on their new outfits... he just kept going, not believing it. When he entered the kitchen and saw the tall potted bush in the corner of the room... he stopped and stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

There was a _tree_ in the kitchen.

A _pomegranate_ tree.

And a _half-eaten_ _pomegranate_ on the counter beside the tree.

"Oh, crap," he whispered aloud, "say it ain't so."

Praying he wasn't too late, knowing he already was, he began to search every nook and cranny of the palace. He zipped from door to door, taking a split second to open each one, whip inside for a peek, and zip back out again.

When he hit the jackpot, he vowed to give up gambling, cold turkey.

He entered a darkened room, and was momentarily blinded by a white light that seemed to hover like a nucleus in the center. As he blinked to see, he noticed the light was really more of a soft blending of palest yellow and blue. Gradually, as his sight adjusted he made out a form within the nucleus, an amalgam of silver and gold, blue and red. He came closer and saw that the light wasn't actually hovering, but was settled atop a large black bed inside the black room. Then he began to make out details of the form within the light... limbs entangled with limbs, torso stretched alongside torso, _head moving languidly at the opposite end from other head..._

Hermes was not a prudish god by any means, nor was he timid. But this was one-unexpected-sight-too-many. He was hit with a feeling akin to having a stroke, his body paralyzed by the view. Normally his brain moved as lightning fast as his body, but this time it shifted too quickly and stalled completely out. He gagged and gasped, as the words slammed hard against his brain's walls and forced themselves out of his mouth in a shout.

"HOLY FUCKING _SHIT_!"

The lovers jerked apart as if a cattle prod had been inserted between them. Persephone yelped in surprise and sat up, blushing furiously. Eyes wide, she scrambled to cover herself with a sheet but her hair already hid anything interesting. Hades, however, declined any covering. He practically leaped across her body to stand and face the intruder, stark naked and flaming mad.

Then seeing who it was that disturbed their privacy, Hades flared but managed to sound friendly. In the way acid is friendly to bare flesh. "Hey, Hermes. There's this little _invention_, you might have heard of it. It's called 'a door'. You _knock_ on it._ Get the fucking gist?_"

"Holy Hera's hairnet!" Hermes sputtered, covering his bespectacled eyes with one hand and backing toward the door. "Oh shit, I think I've gone blind. Put on a chiton or something, willya _please_? We gotta rap, man, and I mean _now_." Then he flew quickly out the door to wait for composure to return. Along with his eyesight and some measure of sanity. And to look for a very stiff drink.

Ten long minutes and half a bottle of ouzo later, Hermes was almost his normal self.

Hades and Persephone got dressed and joined him in the throne chamber, after shooing the Furies back outside. The dark god stood near his throne, where he'd ensconced his beloved. He smiled with the thought of how perfect she looked sitting there, swathed in black with hair like flames around her. Queenliness really suited her.

Though Hades was still somewhat miffed at Hermes, he took it in stride. The shock value had been deserved, considering the outrage of being barged in upon, _in flagrante delicto_. Teasingly, he addressed the other god. "So Hermes, buddy... Feeling better? Or should I get you a darker pair of glasses? Paint your caduceus white-and-red? Maybe train Cerberus as a seeing-eye dog for ya, huh?"

"Glad to see you've still got a sense of humor," Hermes sighed, hovering before him. "You might not, in another few minutes."

"Babe, if you'd given me a few more minutes in the first place, I wouldn't be having the urge to swat you down like a goddamned fly." Hades smiled tightly, keeping a fairly light tone. He had a sudden feeling he wasn't going to enjoy this visit. "Okay, so... what? You're saying there's more to this visit than you dropping by for a cup of decaf nectar and a chat? What is it?"

"Actually," Hermes said, somewhat hesitantly, "I've, uh, come to take Persephone home."

Knowing it meant Demeter was aware of her location, the young goddess cringed. But Hades squeezed her hand reassuringly and shook his head. "Gee, that's too bad," he said with mild sarcasm, "but that's our decision to make, alone. Since we are now engaged."

"Uh, yeah, _engaging_ as that little scene was," Hermes rolled his eyes, "I don't think you quite understand the magnitude of things." Then he sighed. There was no way to explain it all quickly, even for one as quick-tongued as himself. He could see pretty clearly, things were not at all what everyone else believed, and that Rhodope had been right. He began again. "Listen, Persephone... you really just need to go home, right now, before things get worse."

"Worse?" Persephone asked cautiously. Her heart, warm and mushy from hours of tender lovemaking, felt like it was congealing. She had a suddenly terrible intuition, and shrank back into the throne a bit. "How exactly... did you know where to find me, Hermes?"

"Well, uh, everyone knows where you are. And they're generally furious, if that can even begin to describe it. Of course I didn't credit everything they were saying, but..." Hermes hesitated to say what he had to say, then took a deep breath and spit it out. "Most of Olympus believes that Hades has kidnapped and raped you."

"WHAT?" Hades all but shrieked in utter shock.

Persephone fearfully whispered, "Oh... gods... _no_..."

Stiff with rage, Hades choked out, "You have _got_ to know that is not true. Not _me_. Not _ever_!" His eyes burned into the other god's with desperate anger.

"No, no, man. I knew _that_ part couldn't be true. Though I can see it's, uh, pretty hot and heavy between you two, it's obviously what you _both_ want..." Hermes shook his head to clear away the recurring image of what he'd interrupted. "But damned near everyone else is buying the worst possible scenario, as can be expected. And they are planning to attack if you don't release her. Thought you should know."

"Fucking hell!" Hades growled, beginning to pace. "I don't _believe_ this! Is this some kind of payback for what I did to Olympus? Look it was stupid, okay, biggest damned mistake I ever made, I know it and I regret it completely. Fine, I'll make a public apology, do community service, go into family counseling with Zeus, whatever! But, _come on!_ What's with this 'rape of Persephone' bullshit?" He scowled savagely at the very idea of his beloved being hurt, flames crackling loudly along his shoulders and back. "I may be bad, but I'm not a _monster_! How could they even _think_ I'd do such a thing? Don't they know me any better than that? Can't anyone recall a damned thing about _any_ of my past, in that department, if _nothing_ _else_? _HELL_!" he swore vividly, as fireballs built up in his fists. He needed to fling them and destroy something, but he held back for Persephone's sake. "Okay, so what brilliant frigging mind came up with this? Demeter, I suppose."

"Actually," Hermes began, "Hecate told them..."

Hades narrowed his eyes, slightly surprised. So the witch had somehow spied on him. And was jealous, to boot. Rolling his eyes back as he paced, he snorted, "Well, isn't that just fucking dandy. Figures."

Hermes finished his statement, curious to see if everything was a lie on the witch's part, though he suspected it wasn't. "...As well as how you abducted and 'mortalized' Hercules as a baby."

Hades stopped dead in his tracks, skin paling to almost white. "...Oh... great...," he whispered hollowly, eyes looking hunted. Proving that one detail, at least, had been a most unfortunate truth.

"But the situation with Hercules isn't what they think," Persephone insisted, seeing Hades' fear, "and this situation over me is just a stupid misunderstanding. I know I should have sent a message to Mother sooner, but I was too happy to think about the outside world. If Mother would just calm down..."

"Babe, you'd need a sedative the size of Crete to accomplish that," Hermes spoke again, and the knell of doom clanged even louder. "It's an uglier picture than what you can imagine, I'm sorry to say. Just lemme tellya what's been happening while you two were... _ahem_... otherwise occupied..."

And Hermes pulled a small keyboard and microphone from under his cloak, (to which Hades muttered a quick "oy" of disgust) and sang an epic tale of woe.

_Boys and girls, it's hard to take__  
__all the misery and heartache_  
_This could well be the end of the world_  
_Demeter's on the warpath_  
_It's become a real bloodbath_  
_as we head for the end of the world_

_She's always been so kind__  
__to gods and mortals as well_  
_Now she's raining devastation_  
_over forest, hill and dell_  
_(Why is it the quiet ones you always_  
_gotta watch for?)_  
_She's declared all-out war_  
_and we're shocked by her actions_  
_She says she won't rest_  
_'til she gets satisfaction_  
_(Goes to show you shouldn't mess with_  
_Mother Nature...)_

Hermes then pulled out his wallet, unfolding a long scroll of pictures, which he held up for demonstration. Most were old girlfriends, new girlfriends, potential girlfriends (he was picky, though he still got around). He also had family. And the Muses were extended family.

_The daughters of Melpomene__  
__our Muse who sings the blues_  
_are singing a new tune today_  
_because they flat refused_  
_to aid Demeter in her mad crusade_  
_to have Persephone set free_  
_So she changed them into Sirens_  
_and set them out to sea_

Persephone and Hades both gasped at this revelation. The Muses had never had an enemy in anyone. Persephone's heart began to pound heavily.

_Babe, ya gotta go home__  
__try to pacify your mom_  
_or else it's the end of the world_  
_Please take my advice_  
_'cause Armageddon's the price_  
_of admission to the end of the world_

_Near Eleusis, it's a mystery__  
__we don't know what to think_  
_She met a mortal lady there_  
_who offered a her drink_  
_The lady's son, a hapless joker_  
_her table manners, he did mock_  
_He was changed into a lizard_  
_and set sunning on a rock_

This was a true scandal. Demeter had always liked mortals, was very tolerant of their foibles, unlike many other gods.

_A mother's love for her child__  
__is all good and well_  
_but too much of a good thing_  
_can doom us all straight to hell_  
_(That woman eats, sleeps and breathes_  
_you, Persephone...)_  
_She says death does not become you_  
_and 'til Hades lets you go_  
_death is all the world will see_  
_beneath three feet of snow_  
_(If this keeps up, could you rent a room_  
_down here to me?)_

_Demeter would've killed to be sure__  
__that her daughter stayed pure_  
_so unless we find a cure_  
_mankind will not endure_  
_and your grim reaper job's secure_  
_for the foreseeable future_  
_Because, kids..._  
_it's the end..._  
_of the world!_

Persephone felt cold tears spill from her eyes, imagining what must be happening outside while she'd been warm and loved and happy inside. "It will kill the crops... the animals... people... _everyone_ will die..."

Half to himself, Hades quipped, "Just what I need. No one ever died wishing they'd spent more time at the office... and now I see just what they mean." He felt a grinding pain in his chest and the smallest internal sound, like the clink of chains beginning to re-form. What he had to say next was the last thing he'd ever wanted to say in his entire life. "You've got to stop her, Persephone. You have to go back."

She nodded, wiping away her tears and standing from the throne. "I know. She's lost her mind, over me. But I'll be back soon, okay?"

With the numbness of a zombie who realizes in some distant way that he once used to have a life but never would again, Hades spoke, his voice a monotone of dread, "No... you won't."

This was not a response she'd expected. In fact the tone and expression frightened her as much as the words. Trying to sound positive, her own voice a little shaky, she said, "What do you mean? Of course I'll return to you. We're meant to be together."

"They aren't going to _allow_ it," he elaborated. Seeing her eyes widen in worry at such a possibility, he sighed. He knew them all much better than she, the kind of hatred they apparently still bore for him, dull and dangerous, sharp and malignant... as well as the extreme measures they were capable of, many of which he had personally witnessed throughout the millennia. If Demeter -one of the more sedate gods- was rampaging, it hardly boded well for the others being hospitable to him. He said softly, "They know everything I've done now. Zeus, especially, will be out for blood. Believe me, they'll do literally whatever it takes to keep you away from me. They can make it happen."

Her voice began to break. "But... I know what... you're really like, that you've changed... _We're fated_... If we just explain things..."

He spoke gently, yet his words pierced them both to the very soul. "When have they ever listened? To either one of us?"

It was undeniably the truth. The gods wouldn't care, wouldn't want to hear it or even to think about it. They never wanted anything to change. She'd seen it in their eyes on Olympus, she'd witnessed it constantly in her mother's actions and words. Without a doubt, Demeter was furious enough right now that nothing would sway her, not even her daughter's safe return. They were preparing an assault on him, if she didn't return, and it would be a battle just to speak of Hades, let alone come back to him after she left. But things had changed, for her and for him, changed so completely there was no erasing it. There was no way she could live without those changes now, not even if she wanted to. Persephone clenched and unclenched her hands helplessly, feeling the tears flow down her cheeks, but unable to blink them away. "_No_," she whispered hoarsely, "I've _got_ to come back to you..."

Hades couldn't meet her eyes, afraid the sight of her tears would reduce him to the same. "For now... you just go up there and stop your mother from destroying the world. Take the chariot, that'll get you there in no time. You know where it's parked. I promise the griffin won't bite." Then he added softly, hating the bitter taste of the words, "I'll bet even the Fates didn't foresee this part... "

Stricken with the feeling of her heart's death, her eyes began to glaze. "Hades, no... I _can't_... I don't want to leave you..."

He pulled her shivering body to him, holding it close and tight as if to warm it with his love. "I know, honey. I don't want it either. But right now, the world needs you more than I do. You've healed _me_... but she's _killing_ them." Persephone sobbed deeply, her face against his chest as he stroked her hair. He murmured, "Don't cry, love. If the Fates want us to stay together, it will happen. They've taken it this far, and I swear I'll kick their asses if this is the end."

She raised her eyes, brimming over with tears, seeing the hurt and love on his own face. "Somehow," she whispered hoarsely, "I will come back to you."

"Oh, my sweet goddess, I hope so," he choked then, burying his face in her hair. "You are the _only thing_ worth a damn to me in the whole world..."

Holding him, feeling his pain seep out, she felt a hard resolve build inside her, preparing to do whatever was necessary to face the world. A cold and silent thought pricked her mind..._ There was a way_, though it meant changes even greater than anything she'd undergone. But if nothing else worked, it might be the only way. Pulling slightly away from him, she repeated, softer and more calmly, "I _will_ come back to you, my beloved god... and there will be nothing _anyone_ can do about it."

He looked puzzled, still unconvinced. Then she grabbed the front of his chiton, dragging him down for a hard desperate kiss, and her resolve began to crumble. Tears streaming, she ran past Hermes and down the stairs, away from her heart and into the darkness.

Hermes was utterly dumbfounded by all he'd witnessed. Not just from Persephone, whom he barely knew, though he'd assumed was not the sort who'd fall for the likes of this guy... but largely from Hades, whom he knew too well and was amazed by, seeing the honest emotions he showed. Watching them together, it was obvious the dark god didn't consider this a mere fling, nor was it a conquest, the seduction of innocence by evil. Oh no, poor old Hades was flaming-head-over-smoking-heels in love with Persephone, and the sentiment was clearly mutual.

He'd known Leuke well, had seen Hades suffer widowhood, watched him spiral ever-downward into darkness after that. The little dryad had been a good influence on the Lord of the Dead, so Hermes knew he hadn't always been a complete asshole like the last several centuries. The awesome power of love worked wonders, even on the darkest of hearts. Even with the ghost of the nymph back in the picture, the two gods were obviously made for each other, improbable as it seemed.

This whole situation was going to be messier than the Titan battle.

Hades had stepped haltingly backward and sunk dejectedly into his throne, hand over his eyes. After a few seconds, Hermes approached, clearing his throat. "_Ahem_... Pardon me for asking, Hades, but why are you so worried about never seeing her again? If I'm guessing right, you probably could enforce the Pomegranate Clause..."

The dark god wiped away what must have been tears, and looked upward with glittering eyes, brows lowered. A spark of red flame started at his temples, and skittered off into the air. "Excuse me... but in the span of nine days, I've been put through quite a lot," he droned in a near-monotone, "I've gotten an indecent proposal from a black witch, had an unscheduled but surprisingly productive meeting with the Fates, found out my kingdom was falling apart at the seams, met the most perfect girl ever created and fell hopelessly in love, had the most extraordinary sex of my entire life, set up housekeeping, rearranged all the furniture, got matching monogrammed towels and everything... and now, my fiancee's mother is killing the human race just because she doesn't like me, and all of Olympus wants me dead for something I would never even dream of doing."

Then Hades stood up, and advanced toward Hermes in a frightening way, aura glowing almost white-hot, flames and smoke billowing off his body. His voice slowly raising, he spoke with severe punctuation. "My life has been turned inside out, upside down, backwards, sideways and twisted into a frigging _pretzel_, and I'm getting pretty fucking _tired_ of people speaking in goddamned _riddles_, so if you don't start making sense_ right now_ I'm going to have to _kill_ you, pour marinade sauce over your _corpse_ and _feed you to Cerberus!_" He was now directly in Hermes' face, screaming until smoke coiled from his ears.

"Wow," Hermes breathed, backing up almost into the rafters. "And I mean _wow_... You really love her, don't you?"

Hades calmed down a little, his face growing sad instead of homicidal. "I'm telling you, Hermes... As soon as the first temple is built to Persephone, I'll be right there, kneeling beside the humans, worshipping her. As my queen, she would rule all the souls here, as she rules my heart. And woe unto anyone who ever upsets her. I'll smite their ass into dust, right where they stand." He sighed, looking weary and aged, and unbearably sad.

"Damn, that's serious love..." Hermes shook his head in amazement. He'd never seen another god so devoted, except maybe Aphrodite and her idea of love could be pretty warped sometimes (as he oughta know). It was as if somehow Persephone completed the puzzle within Hades, made him whole, was changing him into something new. Thinking aloud he said, "Y'know man, there is kind of a _glow_ about you now..."

Snorting derisively, Hades flared his restored aura like flexing his biceps. "Well, no shit, Sherlock..."

Hermes didn't quite register the change, since he hadn't even been born when Hades had lost the aura to begin with. Clearing his throat again, he hazarded, "Uh, listen, have you two eaten anything special recently..."

With a remaining nugget of humor, Hades chuckled. "Is that a trick question...?"

Groaning, Hermes slapped his forehead and clarified. "Ah-fer-cryin-out- The _pomegranates_, man! Did either of you eat one?"

Frowning a little, Hades nodded. "Yeah, we both did. So?"

Hermes smirked then, laughing softly. Twirling his wand with a conspiratorial grin, he declared, "Oh, buddy... Demeter's _really_ gonna have a royal shit-fit now."

Then he proceeded to explain to Hades the significance, symbolism, and life-altering ramifications of a harmless piece of fruit.

**- o - THREE - o - **

Moments after she left the throne chamber, Persephone went down the wrong bank of the Acheron River. Deliberately. She needed something first.

She entered the darkened room, stepping carefully down the stairs and over the sharp rocky floor. She took a small bottle from an inset of the wall, and gathered a white substance that could have been water. She regarded it with only mild surprise when it changed to a murky mauve color. Then she hurried back up the steps and toward the chariot, and out the long tunnel beyond Styx.

Something deep inside the dark room smiled, even though it did not quite have a mouth...

**- o - FOUR - o -**

Hermes left soon after to catch up with Persephone, leaving Hades to ponder all that he'd said. One of the things had surprised and angered Hades. There had been a decree set several years ago, unknown to either he or Persephone, meaning she was not a minor anymore and hadn't been for quite a while. Apparently, her mother hadn't seen fit to mention that fact to her. And of course, no one thought it was important enough to notify _him_. But at least he wouldn't be seen as a pedophile. They could legitimately be together.

He'd also been left with a couple of scrolls to peruse. Hermes was scribe at all the Council meetings, so he had permanent 24-hour access to all scrolls on file. This particular one had some very, _very_ interesting things in it. Things Hades could use to great advantage. He began to form a plan, though it would have to wait a while until the situation calmed down enough for him to venture safely outside. He could have sent his imps to deliver his message, but he didn't trust them to remember their own names half the time. And it was just possible that anyone in league with him would be treated as harshly as himself, so maybe he couldn't risk their hides either. Maybe in a few days, after Persephone had placated her mother and explained things a little better, maybe then it would be safe enough to peek out, to test the waters, and to hope like hell that Zeus would come to doubt everything else Hecate had said about him. Maybe then, it wouldn't be _deadly_ to deliver his ultimatum.

But for now, at least he and the messenger god had mended the rift between them with a few simple words. It was nice to have Hermes as a friend again. It felt good.

Settling back on his throne, he was feeling a little more hopeful about his future. _Sure_, Styx was still going to purge her waters of souls, finalized in just another five days. The Underworld was already crawling with misplaced souls anyway by now, so nothing new. _Sure_, he would be up to his flames in old backlogged souls, as well as the new arrivals that cropped up every single day. But they'd already begun to establish a system, so he could more or less cope. _Sure_, he would be lonely and cold in his bed, every night he spent without Persephone. But he had the means and method to bring her back now. She would be back in his arms soon.

_Or sooner.._. Her parting words echoed in his mind, so determined and impassioned, that she would come back to him and there would be nothing anyone could do about it. Her tears had cut him to the heart, but at the time they hadn't known about the pomegranate, or the information on the scroll he held. _Now_, however...

Now, however... _he_ knew, but _she_ still didn't. That idea bothered him, and he hoped that Hermes would tell her once they'd reached Olympus, before she did anything drastic.

_...Drastic?_ Why in the world had he thought that? Surely she would find out, in a matter of minutes, that there was an easy way to return. But if not... what would she do? Her words tickled his subconscious mind again. What exactly had she meant? She'd looked so certain, so determined, as if she'd already made a plan... A shadowed memory from the first few nights returned to him, a flitting ghost through his suddenly troubled mind, mixing with her words...

_...I will come back to you...__  
_A door...  
_...and there will nothing anyone can do...__  
_Not locked...  
._..to come back to the Underworld...__  
__...and no one could stop it..._  
And...

The Fall of Tears would solve that rather neatly.

"She wouldn't," he whispered, as the pieces clicked into place. Then he sat bolt upright as terror gripped his heart. She was willful enough to try such a thing, in sheer desperation. "Oh, fuck, I think she _would_!"

He realized that Hercules hadn't drunk a full bottle of the Kokytus water, leaving him still possessed of a large spark of pure divinity which had made him excessively strong, and which later prevented him from actually dying in the Vortex. However, if Persephone did drink the entire bottle it would certainly make her fully mortal. If she was mortal, she would have no godly powers to resurrect herself. So if she somehow _died_...

_It would be permanent._

Leaping to his feet, Hades nearly dashed right for the exit to follow her, then stopped. He gripped his head, screaming and tearing at his flames in frustration. He was Olympus' Most Wanted right now, and no doubt everyone was watching and waiting for him to make just such a stupid move. He had to stop her, but he couldn't go out there. He paced frantically around the throne chamber, sparks flying from his head as the thoughts raced. How could he _save_ her? How could he convince them not to kill _him_ on sight?

It was the moment of absolute truth for him. He would just have to take the heavenly bull by the horns and go after her, but not without every piece of ammunition he could muster... and pray that she wouldn't be dead before he got there. And if she was, he would unhesitatingly follow her to the grave.

He stormed to the window overlooking the river below and bellowed at the top of his lungs. "_PAIN! PANIC! Get your asses up here NOW!_"

Arcane symbols and colored smoke appeared in the room, materializing into the two imps, who stumbled over one another in their haste to materialize faster. They scrambled across the floor to present themselves to the Master, sniveling their servitude. Having seen the young goddess leave, crying and distraught, followed soon after by Hermes, they knew things were not going to be so happy in hell anymore.

"We're sorry, Your Malevolence!" Pain warbled hysterically.

"We didn't know Hermes was here to take her away!" Panic whimpered.

"Shut the fuck up!" Hades growled. "Just get the picks and shovels and help me! I've got about twenty seconds to dig up evidence even the _gods_ can't possibly deny!"

**- o - FIVE - o - **

The Fates, watching through the Eye, sighed in relief. Hades was hard to manipulate sometimes, and they had really scrambled to make him realize what Persephone might do. They could have gone to tell him directly, but then someone else who was also magically watching Hades would have been warned of their involvement. And they didn't want that.

However, they had to prevent Persephone's death. The desperate action on her part had _not_ been in their plans at all.

**- o - SIX - o - **

Hecate was smiling. And laughing. And gathering up her weapons. She saw Hades was about to leave the Underworld to chase after his sweetheart for some unclear reason. He looked frantic and totally willing to die for the sake of love.

Which was _completely_ in her plans.

**- o - SEVEN - o - **

Persephone hugged herself against the biting cold and blinding snowstorm as she rode in Hades' chariot up to Olympus, the dark griffin fighting the strong winds with every stroke of its wings. Her heart had more than congealed with the cold, it now felt like a hard lump of steel in her chest. Carefully, she checked her zonen, where she'd tucked the tiny stoppered bottle. _Just in case...,_ she told herself.

But first, she would fix this hell on earth, no matter what she had to say or do...

ς

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	16. Days of Our Soon To Be Past Tense Lives

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Demeter and Persephone argue like only a mom and rebellious teen can do, and Hades must become a hero (of sorts) to prevent Persephone from carrying out her very stupid plan._

* * *

**CHAPTER 16 : DAYS OF OUR SOON-TO-BE-PAST-TENSE LIVES  
**Θανατου Τραγουδι

The gods were worried, and rightly so. Demeter was making frightful things happen, both to the world and to its population. Much as they would have liked, they knew they had no control over her, she was too powerful in her dominion over the seasons. They had hoped having her amongst most of her family might convince her to forego further destruction. But no matter how her sisters tried to comfort her, nothing helped. No matter what solace Hera offered, no matter what Hestia said about Persephone's strength of soul, Demeter remained inflexibly un-consoled.

The earth goddess had been almost incoherent in her despair when she'd first gotten back to Olympus earlier in the day, but she'd managed to convey the news of her daughter's situation. The reaction had been mixed, some were disbelieving. Not even Hades seemed capable of such a hideous act. But when Apollo had revealed the _other_ secret the dark god was keeping, the shock of it had first paralyzed, then mobilized them. They would rescue Persephone, no matter what it took. And now many of them were preparing for war, so soon after the last time they'd faced Hades. This time however, he was on the defensive. And if some of them had any say in the matter, it would be the last time he ever saw daylight.

Cupid was curled up on his mother's couch, biting his nails in worry. Could he have screwed up the love potion formula somehow? Overdone the power of his super-arrow and made the Lord of the Dead into a raving monster? His mother had warned him, had been concerned about such a thing happening. But he was sure Persephone had been feeling the same thing as the dark god, positive the readings were right. No, he knew in his heart that what everyone else believed was wrong, that Hades had not hurt Persephone. But he didn't dare tell them why he knew, or he'd have been next on the hit list.

Aphrodite just stood aside, shaking her head with an _I-told-you-so_ look at her son. She was actually sorry things hadn't worked as planned. After reconsideration, she had thought it might do Hades good to fall in love, and Cupid's instruments had shown the incredible likelihood of Persephone's reciprocation. So she didn't credit Hecate's story, either. Unfortunately, regardless of whether Hades was guilty or not, she knew that Demeter and the others had tried and convicted him already, and nothing short of a miracle would change that. Primarily, she was grateful no one knew her son's direct involvement in the situation, and she would do whatever possible to keep it that way.

The general crowd of gods and goddesses offered commiseration to Demeter while they assured her that justice would be wrought. Helios, however, stated plainly that he didn't understand what the fuss was all about and, past events notwithstanding, Persephone could surely have done worse for herself considering Hades was a king, after all. Then he blinked in frank surprise at the odd looks he received, muttering something about how he was perhaps a bit out of the loop since he'd semi-retired, but he assumed maybe they'd been dating a while or something and had finally tied the knot. When he saw the black raging anger on Demeter's face, he beat a retreat to the other end of Olympus and didn't find out about the truth of the situation until later that day.

Then Zeus attempted to offer condolence to Demeter, which was a big mistake.

"Demeter, dear," he said in his warmest, wisest tone, putting a large hand on her shoulder, "I know you're upset about this, and who could blame you? But let's try to remember who brought you the news. Hecate. Not exactly a reliable source, regardless of what sort of evidence she may have presented. Although that bit about _Hercules_ makes too much sense to be false..." His aura pulsed with suppressed anger, and he shook his head. "Anyway, bad as my brother is, I just can't imagine even _he_ has the sheer evil it would take to force himself on such a sweet, innocent girl. Though he will most certainly be brought to trial for what he's done to _Hercules_- "

Whereupon the goddess glared acidly at him and sputtered, "You... you... egomaniacal pea-brained testosterone-wreaking _IDIOT!"_ The tirade ended on a scream, bringing utter silence crashing down upon the rest of Olympus. "Is _yourself_ and _your_ interests all that matter to you? If Hades is evil enough to destroy the life of _one_ child of the gods, he is more than evil enough to rape _another_! You yourself have enough illegitimate children to start an army and take over Persia, so don't tell _me_ about forcing oneself on innocents! And if you think I'll be satisfied with you merely judging him on the matter of _your_ precious child and not _mine_, then you are sadly mistaken! I will destroy the _whole_ _world_ you worked so hard to build, first!" She spat utter venom in his face with her words, saying, "If you were god enough, leader enough, half-assed _smart_ enough to punish Hades for his attack on Olympus -like you damned well should have done, instead of letting him waltz off with not even a slap on the wrist- then the bastard wouldn't have been _around_ _anymore_ to cause me this grief! Yes, Zeus! _I blame you!_ You have given Hades tacit permission to _steal my daughter_!"

The silence after this statement dragged on and on. Everyone was shocked to the depths of their brains. But really, what could they say? After all, if it had been _their_ child...

Then, like a miraculous messenger of hope, Hermes arrived and dashed forward into their midst. "Hey, yo, everybody! Good news! Persephone's alive and in one piece and just parking the chariot down by the front ga- _Whoa!"_ He spun aside in the air as Demeter leaped to her feet and stampeded past him, nearly bowling everyone else over in her haste to be at her daughter's side.

All the other gods murmured in relief. Now maybe things would finally get back to normal. No waging war on the Underworld today (only a couple of them pouted in real disappointment, Ares and Apollo being foremost).They all went down toward the gates to see for themselves.

Persephone, dressed in flowing black like Hades himself, stepped from the dark god's own chariot. She looked changed, her skin paled to nearly white and her hair somehow darker, the colorof blood. Her presence seemed altered as well, mysterious and awesome, her face somber, though who could blame her after what had happened. As she strode up the long stairway, she didn't even reach the gate before her mother rushed forward and grasped her tightly in a fervid embrace.

"Oh, my daughter!" Demeter cried out. "You're safe! I was worried _sick_!"

"Yeah, I noticed," Persephone remarked dryly, trying to loosen the grip.

Demeter fussed over her, not yet ready to face the terrible truth of her daughter's ordeal. "Just look at you! Your hair's a mess," she complained, brushing a stray lock out of the girl's face, "and you smell like sulfur! And this black chitonion just doesn't suit you at all. Let me get you a fresh clean _white_ one..."

"Mother, please..." Persephone's eye twitched in beginning anger. As a frown creased her face, she felt her control slipping away.

Demeter saw the frown, misreading it completely. She assumed it came from misery and mentally cursed the dark god. "Now don't you worry, my dear, we'll bring Hades to justice. Oh, thank the heavens you're free of that loathsome evil _beast_-"

_"Stop it!"_ Persephone yelled as her emotions snapped. She yanked herself away from her mother's hands, nearly stumbling backward on the stairs.

Demeter fell silent in surprise, as did everyone else. Things weren't getting back to normal as quickly as they'd all hoped.

Persephone now reached forward and gripped her mother's arms, staring hard into the elder goddess' eyes. Anger etched her face, making her appear completely alien to Demeter. "Mother, what are you trying to do to the _earth?_ And all because I was gone for a few days? Make it Summer again!"

Taken aback by the attitude, Demeter mumbled, "Kore, you're just upset..."

"Of _course_, I am!" Persephone spoke passionately, but reasonably. "You're taking your anger out on innocent people! You're going to kill the human race... _for me?"_

"I didn't mean to hurt..." Demeter realized suddenly what she'd been doing, how out-of-control she had been. She had always been the generous earth mother, closer to mortals than many other gods. Now she had done things she never would have in a normal situation, abusing her powers, using humans as her hostages to gain cooperation from her fellow gods. It could forever tarnish her reputation. "Oh... you're right," she said, calmer, "I must make amends. But... I'll need your help to repair the damage. It's a lot of work to undo..."

Not even wanting to argue that she should clean up her own mess, Persephone stepped to the edge of the clouds with her mother and they joined in invoking their powers. Their auras extended outward, bright green and glittering gold, blanketing the whole world below, restoring the proper season, healing the harm.

"Okay, the snow will melt away in a minute," Demeter said, "Summer is returning. And I promise, this year's harvest will be the most prosperous ever."

"It had better be," Persephone breathed a sigh of relief, then tossed in the rest of the bargain. "Now mother... _swear_ to me, swear by the River Styx that never again, under any circumstances, absolutely no matter what happens... _never_ _again_ will the seasons fall out of their natural order."

The gods all fell silent again. This was getting very serious indeed.

Demeter looked surprised as well. "But, Kore, I-"

"Swear it!" Persephone insisted, her expression brooking no argument.

The gathering of gods stared as Iris approached soberly, holding the ritual cup of water which automatically manifested into her hands whenever this sort of oath was demanded. It had been centuries since she'd performed this particular duty. She fluttered her wings, hovering on an arch of rainbow before Demeter, waiting.

Demeter closed her eyes. It was best to just humor her daughter after the tragedy and heartbreak they had endured. And besides, this oath would serve to create a permanent tie between them, re-weaving what had somehow been unraveling. So she said, "The seasons shall retain their natural order, forever. I swear it, by the River Styx."

Iris poured out the purple water from the aforementioned river, and it streamed away into sparkling light as the oath took hold forever, sealed into the stars above. A group sigh was released, as everyone had been holding their breath for some reason. Now everything should at last be back to normal.

Persephone sighed as well, glad that Part One of the plan had succeeded, and surprisingly easily at that. Now came the hard part. "Okay, now that's taken care of," she said, "I'm going back to the Underworld where I belong." And she spun around to leave, taking the steps downward two at a time.

Nope, not normal yet. Not by a loooongshot.

"WHAT?" Demeter shrieked. "After what he _did_ to you? That evil bastard! He made you sign a _deal_, didn't he?"

Persephone's feet ceased moving as her jaw dropped. Rounding on her mother, she declared, "He most certainly did _not_! For crying out loud! If Hades wanted to force me to remain, I wouldn't be standing here with his own chariot, would I?"

"I don't know why else you'd return to him," Demeter cried out, "that despicable monster, who _kidnapped_ you and who... _who_..." She couldn't make herself say the words that described what she imagined had happened.

Persephone narrowed her eyes. Everyone still thought she had been the helpless, unwilling victim of a heartless, savage attack. Silently she berated herself. Why, oh _why_, hadn't she just jumped in the damn chariot and made a break for it, instead of standing around arguing? But she felt compelled to defend her lover against such slander and found herself saying in a bitingly sarcastic tone, "All right, you wanna know what happened to me? Do you _really_ wanna know? Well fine, lemme tellya, I won't hold _anything_ back!" She stared hard into her mother's eyes, making it clear that the truth was going to be ugly, but not in the way anyone thought. "Hades came to Nysa, looking to fulfill a prophecy of the Fates, and that fulfillment turns out to be me."

Apollo snorted. "Well, that's an original line, if I ever heard one."

Hermes whacked him with his caduceus, hissing, "_Ix-nay_ on the _ommentary-cay_, man."

Persephone sent a caustic glare at the semi-sun god, but then turned from him and went on. "I went willingly to the Underworld. Hades gave me a tour, we talked and got to know each other. I learned many things, about his kingdom, about his life. And it was surprising. He's not a bad guy. In fact, he's very sweet and generous to those he cares about." Then she decided to risk it all, and announced, "And when Hermes came down to find me, he found us in bed together, having _sex_. Fantastic, mind-boggling, _please-sir-I-want-some-more_ sex." Chin high and eyes defiant, she declared boldly, "I have gladly tasted Death!"

The gods gasped, a huge simultaneous intake of breath that nearly became a giant vacuum, sucking the air out of the sky. The very notion of anyone having sex with Hades, let alone great sex, let alone bragging out loud about it, was beyond conception.

Demeter was stricken deepest of all. Her child was claiming to be an eager partner in Hades' bed, was in fact hoping to quickly return to the activity. "It's... just... not... _true_," she gasped, "He must have... _forced_ you..."

Speaking up in Hades' defense, Hermes chimed in, "Well, much as it pains me, I can vouch Persephone was there of her own free will... definitely not, uh, fighting him off, or anything." Then he nearly blushed at the memory of what he'd seen.

"See?" Persephone declared triumphantly. "Now if you'll all excuse me, I really must be getting back. To my _lover_," she announced explicitly, and turned again to leave.

Demeter felt herself losing the battle, since she knew she couldn't argue the points that had been made. But there was one gambit left. Her voice was shrill enough to make her daughter's muscles contract as she yelled, "Zeus, do something! _Stop_ her!"

"Uh... what for?" Zeus asked, addled by all the information he'd been privy to in the last few minutes.

She glared at him. The moron. Hissing, she reminded him, "Hades tried to kill your _son_, remember? Who says he won't try to kill her too, when he's had his fill of using her?"

Zeus' face darkened at that. "Persephone," he said loudly, commanding her attention, "I agree with your mother on this one. You may be above the age of consent, but my elder brother is far too dangerous for an innocent such as yourself."

Persephone's feet halted once more. At first she took his remark as a cutting insult, and she pursed her lips upward at the overly-muscled elder god, easily twice her size in every direction. "_Innocent_? Hey, I'm not exactly the virginal waif you all think you know, and I-" She stopped as realization sank in. Brows lowered, she said, "Hold it, what did you just say?_ 'Above the age of consent'?_ I'm only fifteen."

Zeus frowned slightly. "Yes, and that makes you a year above consent..." His head angled slowly toward the elder earth goddess, as did every other head on Olympus. Frowning more noticeably now, he inquired, "Demeter, have you still not gotten around to telling your own daughter about the decree? It's been over six years since we signed that darned thing."

Only mildly ashamed, Demeter blustered. "Well, it was for her own protection. I was trying to keep her away from bad influences." Then, feeling justified, she lanced her finger out toward Zeus. "And a hell of a lot of good it did me! No matter that she's old enough to decide such things for herself, the fact remains she's been defiled by a dangerous madman! And that wouldn't have happened at all, if _you_ had done what _you_ _should_ about him!"

Zeus cringed. She'd just had to bring that up again. He hated finger- pointing, especially aimed at him. Especially when it was fairly accurate. Sighing, he caved in.

Persephone, however, was teetering somewhere between shocked-to- numbness and livid-beyond-flaming. She couldn't even speak the words. Her mother had known about a decree so important, something affecting her life so intensely... and she had never even hinted. Everyone was still trying to decide her fate for her.

Now Zeus turned back toward her, face stern but resigned. "Persephone, my decision on this has to stand. I know what evils my brother is capable of, and regardless of whatever else happened... you were lucky, this time." The Lord of Olympus shook his long white hair, frowned through his square-cut beard, and crossed his massive tree-trunk arms. He spoke with finality. "Your mother is right. You cannot be allowed to return to the Underworld."

The young goddess went rigid with anger as this final straw snapped her spine. The rippling heat of her aura would have made even Hades step back. She actually produced a creditable sneer to accompany her words, which she flung at the entire assemblage. "This is such crap!" she shouted. "Do you all really think he's that evil? That he forced me? That I'm incapable of taking care of myself? Of deciding for myself? You all still think of me as some pathetic little child who needs protecting from the big bad bogeyman! Well, I'm _not_ a child, am I? And I've _already_ decided! I'm going _back_, right to the bogeyman himself!"

_"No, you are NOT!"_ Demeter screamed, stomping her foot until it made the clouds rumble.

Persephone turned to her mother, eyes mere slits of flashing blue. How dare she tell her what to do, after holding back such vital information for the last six years? Her mother had forfeited the right to ever speak to her again, let alone command her life. "Oh yeah? Well, what're you gonna do to _stop_ me?" she growled. "Keep me at home forever, tied up with magic chains?"

Demeter's eyes were glittering sparks as she hissed, "If necessary!"

The words sent a rustling gasp through the gathered gods. Family squabbles were fairly common on Olympus, but it was hard to believe such a thing had even been threatened, by a mother to a daughter. Though not quite as hard to believe as the young goddess' fervent desire to return to hell. Zeus had already spoken, declaring she should not be allowed to return and so they knew it was their duty to prevent it, by whatever means. And the consensus was growing, that Hades had done something to her mind as well as to her body. Therefore, drastic times called for drastic measures...

And Persephone knew it. She sensed the strength of the other gods, their powers rising, turning the tide against her. Many of them had already maneuvered silently into a circle around her. They could and really _would_, all of them, do _anything_ to keep her from Hades, including trap her forever. She supposed they thought it in her best interests, and her feelings be damned. But in this case, it was cruel, not kind. And now... there truly was no choice remaining.

Her strength vanished, and her body felt numbed with the decision she now had to make, even if it was in the name of love. A single tear rolled down her cheek, as she turned away from her mother. Her heart clanged shut as iron chains began to form around it, cold and dead as the chains they were preparing for her body. Softly, she intoned, "I guess I knew this would happen... No one ever hears me..." With a tiny choked sound, she breathed, "Oh, Hades, my love... you were _right_..." Reaching into her zonen, she slipped the stopper from the neck of the tiny bottle, whispering, "Soon enough, you'll all know just how serious I am..." Silently she prayed for a miracle to come. Then she lifted it to her mouth. And just before her lips touched the edge...

A voice rang out in bottomless fear. _"NO-O-O-O!"_

Invisible to everyone until then, Hades had thrown his helmet down and was charging toward her, not a moment too soon.

"Hades!" she gasped, face lighting up. Here was her miracle, though he would have laughed outrageously to be thought of that way. She put the stopper back in the bottle and held it far from her lips. The iron chains over her heart dissolved before even getting a good grip. Rushing down the steps toward her love, she flung herself into his arms, dried her tears against his chest, never wanting to let go again.

He wrapped her in a quick embrace, breathing heavily. Then he pushed her gently away and took the bottle from her hands, clenched it tightly in his own. Eyes wide with worry and dread, he whispered, "Please, _please_, tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't," she answered softly, shaking her head. "Not even a drop."

He nearly sobbed with relief, and pulled her close once again, encircling her protectively. It was so good to be alive...

"HADES!" Zeus' bellowing voice echoed across the sky, as lightning flashed his rage.

Alive, _but not for long_...

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	17. Clash of the Titans' Kids

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Zeus' authority takes a smiting, Hades demonstrates his lawyering skillz, the Mother of the Gods offers a compromise, and a wedding party rocks the heavens._

* * *

**CHAPTER 17 : CLASH OF THE TITANS' KIDS  
**Γενος Δενδροπημα

**- o - ONE - o - **

"Uh-oh," Hades cringed. He and his young lover clung tighter in mutual apprehension, as the other gods roused from the multiple shocks they'd received and began to surround the two of them menacingly. Then Demeter stormed forward like the force of nature she was, and her arm swung back and forward in a resounding slap against Hades' face, stunning him long enough to rip a fearfully protesting Persephone from his arms, hauling her away. He panted, holding his jaw. _Damn_, she packed a wallop. But then, she had the weight of the whole world behind it.

And Zeus was now fairly sizzling with fury.

Hades gulped hard, really wishing he could've pulled this stunt off without removing the Helmet of Invisibility, as hoped. He had manifested long-distance up to Olympus, hoping to catch Persephone before she entered the gates. He'd planned to just tiptoe up and whisper certain details in her ear, letting her be the one to drop the bombshells he'd prepared. Then he'd planned to tiptoe home again and wait for the dust to settle. True, it was a little deceptive, but it was safer than any other alternative. Then she'd unknowingly forced his hand and, plans be damned, her life was more important. So if he was going out with a bang (and he was sure it would be the biggest one since the Original) he intended to surprise them all by standing brave and tall and accepting whatever Zeus dished out. He just wished he'd had time to slap on a little novocaine first, 'cause this was gonna hurt like fucking hell.

Zeus glared, as his burnished gold skin glittered, lightning snaking over his body. "Hades, you _dare_ to show your face here," he rumbled dangerously, "after _what you've done!"_

Deliberately misinterpreting, Hades responded, "But I didn't kidnap Persephone, I _swear_ it!"

"We know that," Zeus snapped. "I'm talking about grievous crimes you've committed. Brother, I've forgiven you for more things than I can remember, more times than even a god can count throughout the millennia..."

"Yes you have," Hades plastered a nervous, ingratiating grin to his face, "and I really _reeeeally_ wanna thank you for that."

"...I even forgave you for the attack on Olympus," Zeus continued.

Nodding fervently, Hades said, "Yes, I was told, and I would _love_ to sit down, have a few ambrewski's and explain all that to you in great detail." He chuckled nervously, "But if now's not a good _time_-"

"... However for what I believe you've done to _Hercules_...," Zeus thundered on unabated, "if that is indeed the _truth_..."

Knowing it was pointless to deny any longer, Hades sighed and confessed, "It is, but..."

"...Then for that, _I cannot forgive you!"_ Zeus roared, shaking the whole of Olympus. "Hades, stand and prepare to face my wrath!" And with that said, he took up a king-sized thunderbolt.

Hades winced. He'd known it would come to this. While it wouldn't kill him, it would certainly be unpleasant beyond words. He didn't like personal pain, and was pretty sure this would fall into the 'Hideously Disfiguring Agony' category. But he wasn't about to turn chicken now (although he felt an itch like feathers beneath his chiton). Standing tall again, he held up his hands in a wait-a-second gesture.

"Fine, fine! You're right, I deserve it, whack me a good one, you've been dying to for a god's age," he spoke rapidly. "Burn me to crisp, lock me up in Tartarus, banish me to the stars like Kronos. Or worse yet, if you _really_ wanna do me in, chain me up in some pink marshmallow-fluff cloud prison filled with piped-in lyre-muzak for all fucking eternity, that'll _totally_ kill me." He stopped ranting and spoke more softly, "But before you damage me beyond all hope of repair... allow me to bequeath the Underworld to Persephone. It should be run by... someone who understands and cares about it." And he looked at her with a sad, loving smile, as if apologising.

Persephone, held fast by her mother's claws of steel, couldn't believe this was happening. It was just too ridiculous to be happening. She shook her head, trying to make the image before her disappear.

Zeus shrugged, saying, "So be it," and drew his arm back to let fly the bolt...

...And Persephone tore herself free of the final restraint inside and out. Ripping from her mother's grasp, she raced forth and planted herself firmly between the warring sons of Kronos. _"No!"_ she shouted, "I _won't_ let you do it!"

Hades, his eyes already closed, his whole body clenched to take the blow, winked one eye open. Deep in his heart, he'd been secretly hoping this would happen, hoping she would fight back the way he knew she could. He breathed a sigh of thanks and relief, even if it was premature.

Still holding the crackling bolt, Zeus spoke sternly. "Persephone, step aside. He's got this coming to him."

"No, he _doesn't_!" she protested. "He's _not_ the same god you think he is! How can you smite someone who's risking his _own_ life to come and _save_ mine?"

There was a murmur of confusion through the crowd. What kind of danger had she been in? (Other than from themselves, of course...)

"What are you talking about?" Zeus voiced the question on all their lips.

Persephone turned to Hades, taking the small bottle he still held. Holding it up for all to see, she said, "I was going to drink this. I almost did. It's water from the Underworld... and it would have turned me mortal."

The murmur turned into a gasp of shock. Especially from Demeter, who was so stunned she could barely move. She reeled from the idea itself, not fathoming the reasons behind it. "You... would have... _killed_ yourself?" the earth goddess choked.

"Yes, eventually," Persephone nodded. "But first I would have been mortal, and _none_ of you would have any claim over my life, except  
Hades when it ended." Then she looked at the bottle, a bit embarrassed with herself. It had been a childish reaction, overly romantic and tragic and capricious. She blushed. "I know it was a little drastic..."

"...A _'little'_?'" Hades asked dryly from behind her.

She turned to face him, her expression pleading for understanding. "Given the circumstances, I thought it was the only way I would ever get back to you..."

He sighed, shaking his head at her foolishness, though he did understand. In fact, he was deeply moved by it. But still... Tilting her dainty chin upward with his fingertips, he chided her ever-so-gently. "My sweet one... Don't you know I'd rather never see you again, than have you as just another dead soul?"

Eyes misting, she hugged him tightly again, wanting to absorb his warmth and power into her skin if she was still faced with losing him forever. He sighed into her hair, nuzzling its softness, wanting to recall the feeling of holding her for the eternity it seemed they would be spending apart.

Zeus' voice disturbed the reverie. "...Excuse me?"

They looked up at him, as if they'd forgotten what was happening.

With mock-patience, Zeus said, "I have a smiting to do here, so if you don't mind-"

"Yes, goddamn it, I _DO_ mind!" The tough Persephone had returned, using words no one had heard from her before, which caused a second ripple of gasps.

Even Hades raised an eyebrow. She'd been almost this mad at the dead hero. It was... well, kind of a turn-on to watch her get all riled up, especially since it was over him. He hauled himself back from the thought. Now was _definitely_ not the time to get aroused.

She turned to face all the gods, beseeching them. "Come on, _think_ about this, people! Would the Hades _you've_ always known have bothered to come here and risk himself to save me?" Scoffing, she rolled her eyes animatedly. "_Nooo_, that Hades would have stayed the hell at home and let me _die_, so he'd have me forever in his grasp and could just _gloat_ _away_ at you all."

There was a beginning rustle of agreement throughout the crowd.

Zeus sighed, his patience wearing thin of indulging her whims. He was also far from convinced. "Look Persephone, I'm sure that somehow Hades has seduced you into thinking he's wonderful and charming. But I know my elder brother for what he really is. And I, for one, don't believe anything in the cosmos could ever make him change."

Persephone looked desperately at Hades, her eyes begging for another miracle. But he knew now it was truly pointless. Even with the ammunition in his corner, it wouldn't be enough to assuage the fury of all Olympus. And his brother, renowned for not changing his mind on a regular basis, was being extremely stubborn today. He sighed wearily. "Give it up, honey. I can't offer Zeus anything he would consider as ironclad proof I've changed."

She began to cry in earnest, clinging to the sinking ship her lover had become. "No... _no_," she choked, "this can't... be all there is for us. The Fates just... can't be... _this_ cruel."

And Hades knew they could. Holding her gently, eyes closed, he found himself praying... but what in all the heavens could a _god_ pray to?  
Zeus felt the last of his patience dissolve. Not only that, but he was confused beyond words, which always frustrated him to no end. "What in thunder is going _on_ here?" he demanded loudly.

A warm voice, mellowed to the smoothest 90-proof nectar by countless millennia, yet still authoritative enough to command even a god's attention, interrupted him.

"It should be obvious, Zeus... It's _True Love."_

All heads swivelled as one, all eyes widened in awe. This was turning into a very interesting day, to say the least.

"Mother?" Zeus said in surprise.

"Mom...," Hades' voice was soft with shock. His prayer had actually been answered. After all, who else did one call out for in a crisis, but their mother?

Rhea, the Great Mother of the Gods Herself, had graced them with her regal presence, a rare occurrence indeed. Seated on a celestial lion-beast made of stars and moonlight, the beautiful Titaness drifted purposefully between all the gods, who parted like the air before her, breathing in the serenity that flowed from her like sweetest perfume. Her dark flowing robes of royal-purple, sea-blue, and ash-black echoed the colors worn by her three sons. On her head was a crown of blue-white stars around a crescent moon. Her eyes were the deep glittering blackness of space, her floor-length silver hair the twinkling fire of starlight, her skin the shining golden rays of the morning sun. She was beauty and grace and infinity itself. And when she stood from the beast's back, she towered over them all, nearly twice the height of most, a commanding figure indeed.

"Now, Zeus," she addressed the Lord of Olympus in a motherly tone, "put down the thunderbolt. How many times have I told you not to smite your brothers?"

Feeling like a kid again, Zeus blustered and dropped the bolt. "Mother, I'm well within my rights to see justice served. I'm sorry, I just cannot believe Hades is capable of truly caring about _anyone_ but himself."

"Is that so?" Rhea raised her peerless brows. "Well, if you won't listen to me, perhaps we should ask the two experts in our midst...?" Then the Titaness turned deliberately toward Aphrodite. And Cupid.

He jumped somewhat guiltily under her probably all-knowing gaze. "Who, _me_?" Cupid asked with an innocent face.

Aphrodite elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Ow," he complained sourly. "All right, all right..." He made a show of observing the couple, then nodded. "Yep, it's the real thing. Kind of a miracle, eh?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. He might consider it all his handiwork but she, at least, remembered that only one of the two had been hit with an arrow. So she walked around the couple, examining them closely. Then squinted her eyes harder. Then pulled out her rose-tinted glasses and had a _really_ good look. And finally shook her head in honest surprise as she went back to stand by her son.

"Okay, so it's kind of a May/December-Romance-thing," she announced, (thinking silently it really looked more like a Lolita Complex, though that was centuries ahead of their time) and put away her glasses before she saw any more deeply into their recent sex-life. "A little weird but, yeah... it's definitely, mutually, _True Love_."

Cupid grinned smugly and surreptitiously pinched his mother on the arm.

"Jerk," she muttered. She was secretly glad, for all their sakes.

Rhea returned her attention to Zeus with a gentle smile. "Well... I should think there's your ironclad proof."

Zeus was more than a little stunned. This really would change everything. If the dark and evil soul of Hades could be transformed by the power of love, he might yet be redeemed. Persephone did seem to care for him, peculiar as that was. Hades could only benefit from being allowed to pursue this relationship to its fullest. She would bring harmony within the darkness. Her influence had already made him more honest, willing to accept the consequences of his actions, and willing to put it all on the line for her. It reminded Zeus of the way Hercules had risked everything for Megara's sake...

Regardless of Hades' past, Zeus truly didn't wish to destroy him. Perhaps there had been some good in him all along, which had forestalled him from actually murdering Hercules as a baby. Kronos, too, had tried to kill his family and would have succeeded without intervention, never once regretting the destruction he wrought. Hades, on the other hand, had not been caught until now, and yet still hadn't killed the child. And Zeus couldn't let himself ignore that fact, couldn't destroy his own brother, his own family, not when there was still _hope_ left. Killing without mercy, without allowing for reparation... that was something their father would have done. And he had spent millennia proving he was better than the _previous_ ruler of the gods.

"Hades," Zeus inquired of his brother, "tell me truthfully... what do you feel for her?"

Gazing wondrously into the shining eyes of his heart's desire, Hades answered, "_I love Persephone._ Always have, always will, with all my soul. And I will do _anything_ for her. I swear it by the River Styx..."

Iris shook her head as she poured out the second cup of water. But she also grinned as Apollo gasped in utter shock.

Persephone smiled up at the dark god, seeing only the light she knew was within, saying, "And I will love Hades forever. _Nothing_ can change that. I swear it by Styx as well."

The rainbow messenger sighed wearily over the third cup, as Demeter shrieked and fainted dead away, right on top of Apollo.

Zeus sighed too, gladly. But he felt the need still to address a few serious issues. "Well, Hades... There is, however, the matter of my boy Hercules. After all, you are still responsible for that crime..."

Rhea intervened with a gentle voice. "Zeus, dear, after all this time, haven't you realized? The Fates themselves decided on a mortal life for your son, and Hades was merely their tool in accomplishing that."

Hades looked at his mother with genuine surprise. "Mom, how did you ever figure that out?"

The Titaness smiled mysteriously. "I'm your mother, I truly am omniscient. Your little brother," she nodded slightly toward the Lord of Olympus, "just _thinks_ he is."

Hades choked on a laugh, biting his lower lip to stifle himself.

Zeus gave a slightly abashed sigh, rolling his eyes. "Oh... We'll just... discuss it all later..."

Rhea approached Hades, arms wide to hug him. Enfolded now in her embrace, the first time since childhood, he felt safer than he ever had then. Stepping back, she ran a fond hand through his flaming hair and said, "Oh, my little Hades..."

Rolling his eyes, Hades whined with embarrassment, "_Mo-o-o-m._.."

Touching his face gently, she said, "You inherited the very worst of your father. I worried for you, for so very long..." Rhea recalled the way too much power had warped and destroyed her husband so long ago. Kronos hadn't started out monstrously evil, any more than Hades had. Their father's childhood had been almost equally horrific. And he'd done just as his children had been forced to do, brutally taken power from his own father, Ouranos. But ultimate power corrupts completely, and Kronos had once been king of the universe, a cruel tyrant over his family and the world.

Shaking off the ancient thoughts, Rhea smiled at Persephone beside her. "Now at last, all my sons can truly be happy. My eldest finally has everything he needs..."

"No he _doesn't_!" Demeter barked. Having recovered from the attack of vapors, she stomped forward. "He's not having my daughter!"

Persephone raised her eyebrow. "Geez, Mother, he's _had_ me already..."

Several snickers rustled through the crowd, then stifled themselves quickly.

"I don't care what you say," Demeter scowled at the group and at her daughter, "I _know_ he molested you!"

"Whoa, back up the chariot!" Hades snapped. "You obviously don't know me at all. That is the one thing I would _never_ do, to _any_ woman."

"Aw, for cryin' out loud," Persephone sighed. "It was mutual, how many times do I have to say it? In fact, if you want to get all picky about it, _I_ seduced _him_!"

This brought a wave of chortles, titters and one downright guffaw from the assemblage.

Hades cleared his throat, adjusted his neckline, and looked skyward with minor discomfiture. Oh boy. He would never be able to live that one down.

Demeter trembled with anger, but she couldn't argue against it any longer. Everyone clearly was beginning to believe Persephone, who perhaps had deluded herself into thinking she'd had a good time. "Fine, I don't understand your taste in men. But this little fling is finished, I won't tolerate anything further. I don't care if you did swear to love each other forever, I don't even care if it's True Love." Carefully avoiding the expression of hurt in her daughter's eyes, she shook her head. "You _don't belong_ in the Underworld! And you don't _belong_," she turned her glower of disgust upon Hades, "with _him_!"

Hades lanced the earth goddess with his gaze. He knew Demeter had neglected to tell her own child that she was an adult, keeping the girl under her control. That much he would forgive, since he knew how insanely protective mothers could be. But now, she was just being stupid about it. He could have explained everything about how the affair had begun, that the Fates themselves had brought them together, that he had secretly been pining over Persephone for years... but clearly that wouldn't matter to her. _Well_, he thought slyly, they could do this the easy way... or _his way._

"Demeter, sweetcakes, cookie," he said, smiling slowly, archly. "Hate to break it to ya, but you're wrong on both counts. And I intend to prove it..."

He stepped back from the group, and snapped his fingers. With a _whomp_, a tall pomegranate bush, still partly rooted in rock hacked and shovelled from the ground of the Underworld, appeared at the top of the stairs before the gate. There was grass around the base, but not even a microbe of soil to be seen. It had rooted and grown to maturity in solid, unyielding, infertile stone.

Gasping with delight, looking for all the world like her youthful carefree self, Persephone clapped her hands. "One of my trees!" she cried.  
Wearing a deliciously crooked smile, looking for all the world like his old evilly-plotting self, Hades steepled his fingers. (Hey, some habits are hard to break, and can come in handy in a pinch.) Then he strode around the circle of gods, acting every bit the lawyer, stating his case quickly and smoothly.

"This, gods and goddesses, is a slab of the Underworld floor, taken from the Elysian Fields itself. And this is only a small part of what Persephone made grow there, after she transformed the previously impermeable force-field that surrounds the area. See, I've been doing a little research... According to _Olympian bylaws_...," he declared and snapped his fingers again, causing the scroll Hermes had provided to appear in his hand. He studied it as he spoke. "...And I quote, _'If any deity is able to use their powers within the exclusive domain of another deity, in a manner which alters the domain permanently or demonstrates control of any area...'_ ...Which, as you can see, Exhibit Alpha clearly illustrates..." The hand holding the scroll swept suddenly toward the tree in question, then he returned to reading. "..._'...then the deity of the first part has the right to demand a share of the domain of the deity of the second part, as well to declare a new title for themselves, in perpetuity.'_..."

As he finished reading, he chucked lightly. "I'm sure no one ever expected that sort of thing to occur in our lifetimes, but there it is. And if you doubt the veracity of my claim, you are free to send anyone you like downstairs to see for yourselves. Though we do already have one witness." He inclined his head toward Hermes, who nodded silently in agreement with him. He snapped again, sending the scroll into another Council member's hands. As an absolutely unbiased party, he chose Athena, who raised one eyebrow dryly, studied the text and nodded affirmatively. Then he stopped pacing, and looked serious.

"Persephone has a power we've never seen before. _Life over Death_. She was born to rule over the Elysian Fields, she was meant to heal souls and return them to life. I've seen her do it, and it absolutely awes me. She _belongs_ in the Underworld. And she _belongs_," he spun to face Demeter directly, "with me." He approached the earth goddess, hands behind his back, a calculating gleam in his golden hawk's eyes. He spoke with blistering deliberation. "Exhibit... Beta..."

And from behind his back, he produced a half-eaten pomegranate.

Demeter's eyes widened like a spooked mare. _No no no_... Not the Original Forbidden Fruit!

"I've done a little _more_ research," Hades continued, speaking loudly for all to hear. "A pomegranate seems to be one very powerful symbol among the gods. It's more than a symbol of sexual union, which we've already covered, thoroughly." He grinned wolfishly, and rolled his eyes. "It's even more than the representation of death taken into her body, straight from the hands of the God of Death, which alone would _ensure_ Persephone's return to me." He frowned at the circle of gods and dared any of them to deny that fact, and they couldn't. "What I'm referring to is this... The sharing of a pomegranate between gods creates an unbreakable bond, an _oath_ as strong as any taken by Styx." He looked the goddess hard in the eyes. "Doesn't it, Demeter?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and half under her breath, she snarled, "_Damn_ that clause in the Laws of Love, and damn _Aphrodite_ for making it a law..."

The love goddess in question took this moment to quietly slip out of the open and into the privacy of Cloud Nine, locking down the doors with a powerful protective warding. She was no fool. Cupid considered following, but he was too curious about the outcome, and frankly he was a fool for love.

Persephone spoke up then, confused. "Uh, what am I missing here?"

Still speaking to the earth goddess, an absolutely wicked fanged grin over his face, Hades said, "Go on and tell her... _Mom_."

Demeter took a deep enough breath to speak and answered in a noose- tight voice. "It's the symbol of... indissoluble marriage."

Persephone stared with amazement. She had chosen the pomegranate for its sexual implications, true enough. She hadn't been aware of its death symbolism, but that was of no concern to her, after being so intimate with death already. Of course it was also her favorite fruit. But to find out that sharing it between them had meant even more... Slowly a grin twitched across her face, then she began to giggle. Holy cow! She'd actually been legitimately married to him _before_ they'd had sex! That thought made her giggle harder.

"Whoops!" she said blithely. "Guess I already eloped and didn't know it! Sorry, Mother!" With a joyous smile, she snuggled up to her husband, who positively gleamed with triumph. Then she kissed him full on the lips, right in front of everyone, and made sure to give him plenty of tongue.

Demeter pinched her nose, as a headache named Hades was busy splitting her skull in two and using it for firewood. Speaking to herself, she muttered, "Fine, all right, I have no choice but accept it... I've got _Hades_... for a _son-in-law_." She groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands.

Rhea stepped closer to the earth goddess and put a consoling arm around her shoulders. "My child," she said softly, "why should this trouble you so much? Do you not wish your own daughter to be happy?"

"Yes, of course I do," Demeter sighed. "But why... him?"

Rhea smiled with total knowledge. "You are judging him too harshly, dear. He's not an unworthy husband for her. He obviously is devoted to her. As well, he is a king, one of the three highest gods, and until lately a member of the Olympian Council."

"You're biased," Demeter said harshly, "he's your child."

"And so are _you_," the Titaness declared.

A fresh wave of gasps stole through the crowd at this sudden revelation. Hades and Persephone stopped in the midst of their kiss, opened their eyes, parted lips, lifted their heads and stared as one.

"I never told you or your sisters," Rhea was saying, "but I myself created the three of you, secretly. Kronos did not want daughters, only sons. But I desired to replicate myself as well, and I did so without his knowledge. You were born while Kronos held my eldest two sons captive inside him. Odd, that he wanted only sons and heirs, yet sought to destroy them." She sighed at the memories, then continued, smiling softly at her startled female progeny. "Each of you have some measure of my natural powers, as well as your own, gained through destiny. Each of you are meant also to counterpoint the powers the boys were fated to inherit from their father."

Which meant... she had known all along it was a plot of the Fates. Hades closed his eyes and gripped the bridge of his nose tightly. Secrets. He hated them. _Strict honesty_ was going to be his motto from now on.

Rhea continued. "Zeus and Hera, you command the _gods_ themselves, and the element of _air_. Poseidon and Demeter, you both rule the surfaces of the _world_, through _water_ and _earth_. Hades and Hestia, you each hold sway over _mystical knowledge_, and control different types of _fire_." Here she looked enigmatically, meaningfully into her eldest son's eyes for a moment.

"As each of you were born, I sent you away to be cared for by Gaia and the Meliae nymphs. You grew up with Zeus, his first nine years, never knowing he was your brother. It was for your own protection, please understand. Kronos spent much of his time trying to find Zeus as a baby, and if he had known there were _other_ children, he would have destroyed you as well. I was too weak at the time to prevent anything he did," she said with deep sadness, "but I loved you all. You are my children, mine _alone_. Although you did not turn out precisely the way I planned," she smiled at Demeter, as if to hint something particular. "I had intended you to represent the Maid, Mother, and Crone. Though the middle daughter does largely fulfill the role of Mother, Hestia and Hera have somewhat managed to reverse and even to combine the other two. Such is the way things go. Children rarely live up to all our hopes and expectations. But we love them, all the same. Do we not?"

Demeter lowered her eyes. She felt a bit ashamed by her hateful attitude. She knew now, Rhea had created her in the same way she'd created Persephone. From herself, by herself, meant to be something of a duplicate of herself. But things certainly hadn't turned out that way. No matter how Demeter had tried to isolate the problems, Persephone had more than just a mind of her own, she had truly become empowered in unexpected ways. Where, oh _where_, Demeter thought, did I go _wrong_?

Probably... when she'd listened to the Fates, so long ago, when Persephone was born. They'd shown up for no apparent reason, saying that untold good fortune would come to the world if she named her daughter the very opposite of what she was intended to represent. And so she had chosen _'Bearer of Destruction'_. The irony of it now was giving Demeter an even bigger migraine. They had planned this whole damned thing from the very start, those unholy bitches.

Persephone had chosen her own path, even while thinking she wasn't old enough to be allowed. Because she had been fated, had been given a stronger power than anyone knew. And there was nothing in the heavens or on the earth, Demeter included, that would stop it. The elder goddess sighed wearily. Now all she had to do was think of a way to convince her daughter of something else that might be impossible...

Hades had also been thinking deeply, and was now staring in unblinking shock. He had just spent a week getting used to the idea that he was sleeping with someone underage, and then getting used to the fact he didn't really care. Then finding out that she wasn't a minor, which was just fine anyway. But this new thought was... a bit different.

Persephone waved her hand in front of his blank face. "Hey, you okay?"

"Your _mother_ is... my _sister_," he droned. "That makes _you_... my _niece_."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeesh... We're gods, Hades. We're all related anyway. Who cares?"

He focused his gaze down at her. Leuke would have told him the same thing. He was thinking too human again, the result of being around them too much, for way too long. He began to realize how arousing it had been all along, imagining she was so taboo. Though he'd tried to fight it, her very innocence and potential for corruption had been hopelessly irresistible. The forbidden was eternally appealing. And this news presented even more intriguing potential. Slowly, wickedly, he smiled. "Hmm... Kinda kinky... isn't it?"

"Oh, brother," she snickered, "or should I say, _uncle_?" She sent a sweet and innocent little-girl smile up at him, meant to tease mercilessly.

"Well, I suppose it's not as bad as some cases," she grinned, nodding toward Zeus and Hera, who were looking the tiniest bit uncomfortable with the knowledge they'd just been granted (though, later, they would find it put quite a spark back into their love life... for a short while, anyway).

Seeing their current distress, however, cheered Hades up greatly.

Unnoticed, Hestia smiled kindly at her 'twin' brother. She'd known all along.

Demeter was shaking her head slowly, adjusting to the whole idea. She too was realising that she'd been intimate with two of her own brothers, and now couldn't meet their eyes. But there was even more at stake. Aloud, she said to her daughter, "Okay, Persephone. I know you're an adult, whether I like it or not. I'm sorry I held that from you for so long," she sighed, truly regretful as she saw the expression of chastisement on her daughter's face come and go, replaced by patience and possibly forgiveness. She continued, "And I won't fight your marriage to Hades, even though I really don't like that either... But you still _cannot_ _stay_ in the Underworld."

Hades and Persephone both made indignant and disbelieving noises. Exasperated, Persephone asked, "Why _not_?"

Demeter was serious and, for once not overly emotional, though her eyes were sad and pleading. "My Kore, when I made you Goddess of Springtime, I gave up those powers within myself, forever. Now, when in due time Winter arrives, without you... it will _never_ _end_. That is why I needed your help to restore Summer... I cannot do it myself, any longer."

This was startling news to everyone, especially Persephone. Perhaps Demeter had a good reason for her earlier protests (well, _some_ of them, anyway). The young goddess, worried and unsure what to do, stated quietly, "I... I didn't realize that..."

"Okay, look," Hades declared, "there's gotta be a compromise here. I need her with me, too." He put a possessive arm around his wife, making it clear there was nothing that could convince him to walk away from her. Ever.

The ancient voice of wisdom settled it for them. Rhea came closer, and all listened. "Demeter speaks truly, I'm sorry to say. She no longer possesses the powers of restoration and generation, only those of maturation and cultivation. There is a way to settle this... but, sadly for everyone, it will involve some sacrifice."

Hades frowned. "How much sacrifice are we talking about here?"

Rhea said slowly and carefully, "The only way is to separate her powers into two parts. During Springtime, Persephone must return to the earth above, in order to conclude Winter. Then the following seasons can proceed naturally. After that, she may return to the Underworld."

Demeter fidgeted guiltily. "Uh, there's more to it than that, I'm afraid..." Seeing her daughter's forehead crease with dread, she took a deep breath. "Persephone is not merely Goddess of Springtime alone. She owns the power of _all_ new life. For all things that must bloom and be fertilized, crops as well as flowers, she will need to be present on the earth. That means through Summer as well. Otherwise, the late Summer and Autumn harvests will both fail... and the world could _really_ die..."

Hades' eyes narrowed with sudden anguish, and he grumbled low in his throat, "Oh, man... Gotta hand it to ya, Demeter. This tops _anything_ I could've schemed up. You've managed to screw us out of half our lives together. Half of every year. For the rest of _eternity_." He doffed an imaginary cap to her, with a bitter flick of his wrist. "_Kudos_, babe."

Persephone's eyes widened at his statement, then turned hurtfully to Demeter. "Oh, mother... When you swore on Styx... You _knew_ this, didn't you? You did this on purpose, to bind me, to keep me always close to you..."

The earth goddess hung her head in shame. "I honestly never thought you would seek a life elsewhere... never thought you would be _hurt_ like this..." Tears began to fall from her eyes. "I truly do love you, my child... _I'm_... _so_ _sorry_..."

Rhea squeezed her daughter's shoulder, realising that part of the sacrifice she'd spoken of was Demeter's to accept. The earth goddess would forever lose some part of her daughter, and that part might well be love. Then she turned a gentle smile upon her eldest son and his young wife. "Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about it. The earth must survive, yet the Underworld must be also healed. I know it will be hard for you both, to be apart so much when you love each other. But can you _willingly_ make this sacrifice?"

Persephone sighed, and gazed into her beloved's eyes sadly. She saw there what she already felt, and what they knew must be done. And the pain inside grew to a ponderous bittersweet ache she knew would never end as long as she lived. Lowering her eyes, she spoke for them both. "Though we don't like it, we know it's the only recourse. Mother has sworn an oath that the seasons would always stay in their proper order, which had to be done. That oath was sworn to hold me as well." She frowned gloomily over the thought. "I feel I was born to belong to _both worlds_, to share myself equally, and so it is the right decision to travel between the realms of life and death. I cannot turn my back on either one. _However_... I refuse to be completely parted from Hades, my destined lover and my husband, during my time above. If he is not allowed to visit me upon occasion, then I will go back below. And when Styx punishes _me_ for it, she will also punish _you_, Mother..."

Demeter cringed. Her innocent child had grown hard and calculating. And far too wise. Perhaps that vision of a new baby was something to consider seriously. "I would never dream of preventing... conjugal visits," she uttered, somewhat sourly.

Hades gave a slight grin at that. He was extremely displeased with the way things had worked out, but he would have been more upset at losing his wife completely. This way, they still had most of the year to find a way to be together, and now no one would deny him access to the world above. "So when does this little deal begin?" he asked with some resignation. "What about this year? It's not Autumn yet. Is she expected to stay above until then?"

Demeter sighed and nodded. "It will be necessary, to ensure things go smoothly for the Great Harvest since I've... already caused damage to the earth..."

The couple frowned. "Well, I have to prepare things in the Underworld first," Persephone declared. "Give me a few days, and I'll be back up here, for the next month and a half... Funny, I'll get to return to the Underworld just in time for my birthday...," she sighed ironically.

"Promise me that you _will_ return," Demeter said softly.

Hades started to speak, to berate her for doubting her daughter's word. But Persephone merely nodded. "You know I must."

And with that, the deal seemed decided, set in stone and Styx water for all time.

Zeus had witnessed the unpleasant exchange and realized just how much pain his brother was in. Certainly enough to make up for the pain he'd caused by abducting Hercules. And Hades would suffer with it throughout all time. Maybe not even _he_ deserved it, but there was nothing to be done. Except, perhaps, to bring him back into the fold and to accept him the way he was. Zeus was glad he'd chosen generosity over punishment, once again.

The Lord of Olympus spoke gently. "There is one small matter still to attend to," he addressed Persephone, "a new title for you, my dear. Something that perhaps encompasses both domains. You will be Queen of the Underworld, but what _divine_ _title_ do you wish to assume?"

"Oh, right," she mused, not caring nearly as much as she should. "I'll just be what I already am. _The Goddess of_ _Rebirth."_

"So be it," he smiled. Hermes scribbled the new title onto the proper scroll and Zeus sealed it, making it official for eternity. Then the King of Olympus happily rescinded his prohibition against Hades' presence, reinstated his brother to the Council, and boisterously ushered everyone present inside the gates. It was much better to celebrate, than to convict.

The uneasy silence which had descended on the crowd of gathered gods broke like a wave, and they all rustled in conversation. There hadn't been so many momentous things happening on Olympus in longer than most of them could remember. _What a day!,_ they all buzzed. Someone would have to inform a suitably poetic mortal -that Homer guy, perhaps- to write it all down for posterity, because in time it was bound to lose something vital in the translation and then no one would know what had really happened, you know how these things are...

So the rest of the day was spent in revelry, honoring the marriage of Hades and Persephone. The two gods were dragged away separately, and clothed in fine splendor. Aphrodite, realising it was safe to emerge from her home, foisted a lavish wedding ceremony upon the couple. Following this was much music and dancing, and singing of the Muses, and mountains of food and drink and gifts. It carried on very late into the night, and the noise kept many mortals below awake.

Hades refused to dance the _zorba_, but he did slow-dance with his wife.

She was clad now in the most glittering white, wearing a flowing chitonion with an embroidered black zonen, and a silvery peplos over it all. Hephaestus had made her a crown befitting her station, fashioned of silver and inset with marvelous rubies, in the shape of a trio of ripe pomegranates. A delicate white veil had been attached underneath, folding gracefully over her hair. She was breathtaking, stunning. Although she had turned heads before, she now drew rapt attention and sighs of longing in her wake. But she didn't notice anyone, except for Hades.  
He had been forced into something more formal himself, a fancy termioeis chiton, still all black and grey but with more patterned trim than he usually wore, and a pharos draped from his shoulders. It looked pretty good, he had to admit, and the belted waist made it clear he had a pretty good body under it too. The smith god had made rings for them both as well, also skull-shaped. It matched his peroné clasp. _Great_. Now he was wearing coordinated jewelry. Surprising to him, he actually seemed to be an object of interest to a few of the goddesses. Too bad for them, he thought, he had eyes only for Persephone. And everything else was hers as well.

For now, they danced. It was bittersweet though, knowing that soon they would be separated again. Holding her reverently in his arms, he said softly, "My beautiful wife... My _queen_. I never thought I'd say this but... let's just live for the moment."

Eyes misty, she responded with a whispered, "Oh... my love..."

They kissed again, sweet and long and deep and loving, until they almost forgot to keep dancing. The cheers, hoots, and approving catcalls from the gathered gods finally returned their attention to the present with only mild blushing.

Demeter stood aside, still frowning. Seeing her, Hades exchanged a look with Persephone and she stepped aside with a smile. He approached Demeter, arms wide, inviting a hug from his mother-in-law/sister. She grimaced, but he grinned like a shark and hugged her tightly anyway, nearly lifting her impressive bulk off the floor. What was it they said... _A man in love has the strength of thousands?_ Then he swung her into a dance as well. Whispering, he told her that she could keep her new place on the Council and he would instead assume the office of alternate, since his life was now way too busy for such things. This cheered her up a bit.

Sighing, she relaxed and allowed him to lead more easily. She promised him a few things as well. When her new sanctuary was built at Eleusis, she would include a temple for Persephone. And she also agreed to ensure that the priests and priestesses would show Hades due respect as Persephone's husband, that they would be made to understand the truth of the relationship even if the rest of the world did not. Perhaps they would even build a temple for him as well...

With a poignant smile, he gave her an honest hug, assuring her that he loved Persephone like nothing else in the cosmos, vowing to treat her like the priceless treasure she was. And that if he ever failed, both Styx and his mother-in-law were free to mash him to a pulp, if the wife didn't beat them to it. The corner of Demeter's mouth twitched, accepting both the challenge and the frankness of his love. And finally, softly, he told her that Persephone truly did love her mother, even though they disagreed on things. Throat tightening with tears, Demeter leaned her head against her brother/son-in-law's chest and let her emotions pour out in sweet relief.

Persephone began to smile at the sight. Things were healing in all quarters now, slowly but surely. Hades, patting a weepy Demeter on the back, beamed over her shoulder at his bride and gave a mischievous wink. She grinned giddily in return at her wonderful, passionate, surprisingly romantic and warm-hearted husband... thinking that she couldn't wait to get him home and back into bed, after hanging a 'Do Not Disturb Under Penalty of Death' sign on the door, and possibly barricading it from within as well. The time remaining would be short but very, very sweet.

Far aside stood Cupid, a look of smug self-satisfaction on his youthful dimpled face. Not a bad conclusion, if he did say so himself. He turned to his mother and said quite casually, "Pay up."

Aphrodite eyed him wearily, and slipped him an I.O.U.

Nearby stood Apollo, who was still in utter shock. He muttered mostly to himself, his tone by turns numb and incredulous. "I can't believe she _dumped_ me... For... for _Hades_!..."

Cupid grinned, saying cheekily, "Says something about your style, don't ya think?"

Apollo groaned and wilted. Had he really lost it? His suave? His élan? His never-fail-to-score way with the ladies? It was unbearable to consider. If it were so, his life was over. His ego and reputation were already suffering, after the Daphne debacle.

Slapping him heartily on the back, Cupid said, "Ah c'mon, cheer up, buddy! I'll give ya some pointers..." The young skinny god put a comradely arm around the extra-wide shoulders of the tall muscled god, and began to lead him away. He spoke in a conspiratorial tone, ever the matchmaker. "Hey, I know this little nymph chick on Nysa who's had her eye on you..."

This perked Apollo up nicely. "Really?"

Aphrodite just stood and watched them walk away, droning to herself, "...And the Summer just gets longer and longer..."

**- o - TWO - o - **

The evening arrived, after a warm and humid day, perfectly ordinary Summertime weather. The earth was whole again, and grateful to whatever forces had turned Demeter's fury around. Soon enough the world would know, would embrace the mystery of the gods of Life and Death, entwined forever. But for now, things were simply normal.

On Nysa, Rhodope was floating luxuriously on her back in the stream. She'd heard the good news, was thrilled her friend had found happiness in her sudden new marriage. Persephone had also extended an invitation to all the nymphs of Nysa, whom she'd grown up with, to join her in the Underworld. She had jobs for everyone, if they were interested. Several nymphs, missing their longtime playmate and having little else to do, were getting ready to sign on and move downstairs.

For today, Rhodope wanted to stay above. The sun had been dazzling her all afternoon. And Apollo himself would dazzle her tomorrow evening, when they went on their first official date.

She giggled, kicking a spray of water skyward. The end of Summer was going to be very, _veeeery_ happy this year.

α

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	18. The Good, the Bad & the Witchy

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which Hecate and Hades have a massive throw-down, Persephone discovers she can be a badass, and Panic reluctantly decides she's not a terrible influence on the boss after all._

* * *

**CHAPTER 18 : THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE WITCHY  
**Φαρμακο

**- o - ONE - o - **

Hades was thrilled to be given a second chance. And 'irony' was the word for the day, as he realized that he'd _finally_ _won_ against all of Olympus. True, the victory had been only a partial one. But he had found the love of his life, and she would always be his.

While still on Olympus, he'd made a point of approaching Zeus and Hera, quietly and in private. He had been unable to fully voice his regrets to them, for all he'd done to them, to their child... But they had forgiven him, saying that when he had children of his own, he'd come to understand. His _own_ children... That was another matter entirely. He hadn't yet discussed this with Persephone, mostly because he didn't wish to disappoint her. But the time was fast approaching when he would have no choice.

For now, they just enjoyed the ride home, squeezed together in the black chariot. Some of the other gods had decorated it, tying a 'Just Married' banner along the side, and vases and sandals behind it to drag through the air. It was cornball beyond words, but whaddaya gonna do?

Persephone was snickering, telling him about some of the silly gifts she'd been given. Especially the one from Aphrodite. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with a chair and whip," she laughed, then purred. "Besides... I think I like your beast _untamed_."

Leering, he nibbled her ear and made her squeal. "Hang onto them. You never know when they might be handy. Some night, I'll put on my Helmet of Invisibility and you'll never see me coming for you... 'til it's too late..."

Giggling, she squirmed around until she faced him. "Oooh, sounds like fun," she declared, biting his lower lip then drawing him into a luscious kiss.

Once again, he was thankful the griffin knew its own way home.

Upon parking the chariot, they heard Cerberus whining pitifully and when they stepped through the gateway, they saw the guard dog was, incredibly, muzzled and chained to the wall of the cavern. Something was gravely amiss in the Underworld.

Hades felt a icy spear shoot down his spine. "What the hell is going on here...?" Cautioning Persephone, they walked together along the bank of the Acheron. They saw that the Asphodel Meadows were deserted, and Charon was nowhere to be found. His boat drifted loose in the middle of the river, empty. In fact, all of the demons were missing, imps and lamiae alike.

"Okay, this is getting weird," Hades muttered. Grabbing Persephone tightly he, said, "Hang on, babe," and launched himself into the air, flying in a huge arc over the river to land on the dock beside the palace foundation. From there, they saw the Elysian Fields and it appeared that the largest portion of the souls had retreated within, cowering in fear of something dreadful. The souls were safe inside the force-field, whatever threatened them apparently as yet unable to penetrate it.

Hades ran to the Judges' chambers and found it locked tight. The chains over the door were magically sealed, even against his strength. He heard a muffled shout from within, confirming that the judges themselves were trapped inside.

"Shit," he grumbled. His face tinted red and his hair flared gold, creeping across his shoulders and rippling down his back. "It's Hecate who did this... not good, not good... I don't know how she did this, but it's about to become a helluva fight." Quietly, as they began to steal up the stairs of the palace, he explained the probable details of what they were facing. And what he planned to do with the witch's corpse afterward.

Persephone, however, came up with a better plan.

**- o - TWO - o -**

Pain and Panic were less than thrilled with the 'New Underworld Order'.

Hecate had returned with news of their Boss' destruction and stated she was now in charge, which unnerved them badly. Panic was especially upset, since he figured that the gorgeous goddess girl was to blame for turning Hades' head and dulling the god's brain to danger. The green imp pouted dejectedly at first, but it quickly passed when Hecate chained them both up in a corner of the throne chamber.

And now they were being menaced by the hellhounds. Havoc and Mayhem snarled and snapped at the captives' feet and pointed tails. The imps cowered from the larger demons, but they did manage to spit out a few insults.

"Down boy, _sit_!" Pain cried out. "_Bad_ dog! No biscuit!"

Panic sneered, "You guys do have all your shots, don't you?"

"Oh, my gods," Pain gasped, "get that _doggy_ _breath_ outta my face!"

Mayhem dryly declared, "Yeah, like yours is any better."

"At least, unlike _you_," Panic snootily remarked, "_we_ don't lick our own rear ends."

Mayhem growled threateningly and made ready to rip out the imp's throat, but Havoc put his paw up to stop her. "Chill, partner. We're in charge now. In time, they're gonna hafta roll over and play dead... for us."

The hellhounds both grinned in such a sadistic way that the imps cringed as far away as possible, thinking their lives under Hades hadn't been so bad after all.

Hecate had been enjoying herself. It had all worked out so well, been so easy, once things were set into motion. She'd sat outside the Underworld entrance, watching the impressive lightning show up above, chortling with delight. Then she'd marched right in and thrown the black- spelled chains on anyone and everyone that got in her way. The souls she didn't particularly care about, and they had mostly run off to hide in the Elysian Fields. She discovered that she couldn't yet enter that area, but was determined to figure out a way eventually.  
It was almost poetic, how beautifully things had turned out. The gods had taken the bait like good little brainless fish - hook, line, sinker, rod, reel and all. Even Hades, whom she had to admit was the only halfway smart god she'd ever met, had blindly rushed into the path of the speeding chariot of doom, like sacrificial lemming roadkill.

And now the Underworld was all hers, to explore and manipulate as long as she wished. She seated herself on Hades' throne -correction, _her_ throne- and then sprawled crosswise over it and stretched in languid satisfaction. She had even found his dikranon and was twirling it slowly between her hands. She hadn't quite figured out how it worked yet, but there was plenty of time for that. "Ah, life is glorious!" she declared dulcetly and a bit over-dramatically. "Right about now they should be sweeping Hades' ashes off the clouds of Olympus. Oh, how I _wish_ I could see that..."

A voice caressed by all the forbidden knowledge of the universe, as cold and dark and dangerous as a demon's tomb, reached across the chamber, grabbed her by the throat and shook her in its teeth.

"Sorry to disappoint, babe. You'll just have to settle for dealing with me in the flesh."

Hecate leaped in shock, but held her hard-won seat.

Pain and Panic cheered and rattled their chains like party noisemakers. "Yay! It's the Boss!" Panic cried.

"And the Boss Lady!" Pain added, smiling broadly.

Panic turned his head away in disdain. He wasn't ready to accept Persephone into their family, such as it was, just yet. "Yeah... what- _ever_..."

Boiling with a mixture of fury and disbelief, Hecate glared at the sight of both gods she'd so carefully disposed of, entering the room. Shit. He must have wormed his oily way out of punishment somehow, probably thanks to the little bitch still at his side. Zeus was definitely going soft. Time for Plan Beta... "Hades," she snarled in a friendly way, "Welcome to Hell..."

"Thank you _ever_ so much," he smiled with the heat of an iceberg. He crossed the room in three smoking strides. "And how very _nice_ of you to keep my chair warm for me while I was gone. Now move your ass."

Hecate's eyes glinted silver-white, and she grinned tightly. "Oh, I don't think so, big guy. You've just stepped into my trap."

Hades glanced downward. The floor was marked with a huge pentagram, so huge he hadn't noticed it before. Magical symbols even he barely recognized scrolled around the outer ring. Flaming torches stood at each point. He stood directly in the center of it all. Looking back up at her, mouth agape and eyes wide, he said sarcastically, "Oh my _goodness_ _gracious_, oh, I _am_ in trouble! I'm dealing with a witch who's so damned _stupid_ she seems to think this will work as easily on a _god_, as it does on a _demon_. Well, it doesn't work that way, toots. You can't bind me." His lips closed on a mocking smile, eyes narrowed.

"I do know that, you bastard," she smiled back. "It's not to hold you. It's to trigger my fire elementals to maim you. After which I will be locking you up with magic chains and tossing you into the Vortex of Fire, where you will be tortured beyond endurance for all eternity, during which time I will stand above and laugh down at you evilly." Smirking in typical villainess fashion, she leaned back in her confiscated throne with aplomb, knowing her spell was perfect. Casually she added, "Just so we're both on the same page, here."

The torches at each point flared up viciously, becoming gigantic beasts of red-gold living flame. They danced loose from their holdings, crackling with hate, and circled to surround the god, taking on the shape of a pack of slavering incendiary wolves.

Hades looked warily around, thinking, _okay, great, whatever..._ Then the smell of magic, so black it was almost pure chaos, reached his brain. _Oh, shit_. Now this really _was_ bad. It was Zeus' thunderbolt all over again. It wouldn't kill him, since he was a god, but who knew how much damage they could inflict. How in hell did Hecate rate this kind of serious, deadly magic? And where the hell was a bucket of water when you really _needed_ one?

He had never faced anything quite like this. Though he could have easily dematerialized and escaped them altogether, he refused to be defeated in his own throne room, with his own kingdom at stake. This was, unfortunately, one battle he couldn't afford to run from.

The wolves didn't wait long to attack. The first one leaped for his throat. He dodged swiftly, but put himself in the path of a second. That one nearly snapped his face off, actually singeing his cheek before he could twist away. Their speed matched his, and he was very fast. The other three began angling behind him, preparing to bring him down for the kill, feast, and after-dinner mint.

Persephone had backed away, gasping in fear, not sure what to do. She'd never had to physically fight anything in her life. The closest thing had been the dead hero she'd faced in the Elysian Fields, and that didn't even count as a scuffle. This was completely out of her depth.

But she was not to be left out of the battle. Hecate knew the god was too busy now to properly protect his innocent little sweetheart. She would be easy prey to take down and chain up. The witch called out to the hellhounds, _"Sic 'er!"_ and pointed at Persephone.

The hellhounds raised their heads, eyes bugged out in disbelief. "Is she kidding?" Mayhem asked, "That's a frigging _goddess_!"

Havoc sighed. "Last time I sign on with a witch..." But they obeyed the summons, flying toward the goddess.

Persephone saw the hellhounds bearing down, then turned and ran, trying to think, trying to buy time, anything. She made it to the conference room, hellhounds close behind, and dashed around the long table. They swooped over it, angling down toward her, ready to attack. And suddenly, she knew what had to be done. Just before they reached her, she twirled around, dissolving into a spiral of sparkling flowers.

The hellhounds flew through it, unable to stop in time, their noses and mouths gasping on flower petals. Blinded and choking, they slammed full-speed into the wall. After a suitably comical pause, they peeled themselves off the flat surface, spitting out flowers, and turned around to locate her for a second pass.

Before they could react, Persephone rematerialized behind them, flinging a handful of seeds at Mayhem. The seeds sprouted and grew into thick vines so quickly the demon dog couldn't escape. The vines rooted to the ceiling of the chamber and tangled a cursing, furious black hellhound completely motionless in a net of greenery.

Havoc hovered for a second, staring at his companion and worried for himself, then attempted another go at Persephone. She tossed out another seed grenade, which exploded into a tree, fastened to the floor and instantly snared the white demon like a broken kite in its branches. "Shit," the hellhound muttered, "Finally a tree whose bark is _worse_ than its bite."

With a quick grunt and roll of her eyes at the comment, Persephone dematerialized again and aimed herself back toward the throne chamber.

Hades still faced-off with the fire wolves. He'd lobbed fireballs, punched through them with fists of smoke-vapor, done some fairly nice acrobatics, basically avoiding and buying time. When his beloved had run from the room, his heart nearly stopped. Praying she had thought of a plan, he waited, holding them off as long as he could afford to do so. The spells Hecate had used were the blackest he'd ever seen, and were indeed strong enough to hurt even him quite badly. He already had, surprisingly, a few black streaks on his arms, burn marks from the magic. If Persephone were faced with anything like this, she was in terrible peril.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw his love appear near the doorway. She was okay, had somehow beaten the hellhounds on her own. Pride swelled in his heart, but he didn't allow his face to show it. Hecate watched only him, raptor-like, grinning with sadistic self-confidence, having written the goddess off as an easy target. There was still a chance to strike from behind, if Persephone took it. But the fight would have to get serious, right now.

The wolves seemed to sense that. They moved in, feinting and snapping, faster and closer, trying to wear him down for the final blow. He shot more fireballs, but they were ineffective, getting swallowed up by the wolves.

And instant inspiration flooded through his brain, like threads of fate being tugged into place, sewing up the loose ends of previous thoughts.

Something Leuke had told him...

_He was God of Souls... they were attuned to him...__  
__they shared the divine fire of the gods..._  
_he was their god, after death..._

Rhea speaking...  
_he commanded a different sort of fire..._

He ruled the divine fire within human souls...

He could draw energy from that nearly limitless wellspring...

He had an almost infinite power source... _and he'd never known it._

Smiling tightly, he decided to push the envelope, test his own faith in himself. For a fraction of a second, he focused on the masses of souls at his command, his mind separating from his body. He reached out to them, touched the fire inside them, drew it into himself. His aura pulsed like a heartbeat as a surge of energy rose inside his breast, a bright flame unlike anything he'd ever felt before. _White. Alive. Pure._

_He could survive anything._

Then he shouted at the fire-wolves, "All right, c'mon! Come at me!", and crouched in a fighting stance, feet apart. Taunting and snarling, he motioned for them to attack. "_Bring it on_, ya mother-fuckin' fleabags! No holds barred! _C'mon_, ya flamin' assholes! Gimme yer best goddamned _shot_!"

Roaring like an out-of-control forest fire, the five elemental beasts flung themselves onto the dark god. Sank searing fangs into him, mauled him with blistering jaws. _And it hurt_. He made a sound that might have been a throat-exploding scream, his face twisted in what could have been skin-shredding agony. The beasts devoured him, completely engulfed him. They all sank to the floor heavily, a bright orange death-pyre.

"_Whoo-hoo!"_ Hecate hooted with malicious glee, shaking the dikranon above her head victoriously. "In your _face_ Hades, ya freakin' _son-of-a- bitch_!"

Unnoticed, Persephone gasped with soul-wrenching horror. It couldn't be possible! She felt tears start again, thinking she'd lost him for real this time. Then she turned toward the witch, face darkened with anguish. And a hate unlike anything she'd ever known welled up in her heart, spilled over into her veins and flooded like ice through her skin. A desire she hadn't believed herself capable of feeling sent her shocked heart into a spin, downward to a dreadful tomb. _Black. Hollow. Dead._

_She wanted to kill..._

But she was afraid. She was life, not death, not even in the land of death. Try as she might, she was too frightened to face this sudden urge, even for the sake of her love. It would be destruction without renewal. But there was something else she could do. With steely determination, Persephone reached into her clasp again, and tossed a few seeds in Hecate's direction.

They burst to life at the witch's feet, and viciously-thorned rose bushes sprouted upward, entangling her legs up to the knees. Hecate shrieked in pain, dropping the dikranon with a clatter. Looking downward, she gasped in alarm, then whipped her head upward to stare in complete disbelief at the goddess.

Persephone smiled tightly, her eyes frigid as winter. She couldn't kill, but nothing in her was against causing discomfort. After all, growth always brought growing pains, didn't it? Now she would have to figure out what to do with her captive. If Hades was truly gone, the witch would pay with her life, one way or the other. Hesitantly, her heart booming with dread, she looked toward the pyre.

The conflagration on the floor was still dancing restlessly, as it became clear that somewhere within the ball of fire Hades still stirred.

Gradually the flames began turning bright blue... with Hades' own fire.

One by one, the elemental beasts were being extinguished by the god's blue-white aural blaze, enriched with the energy of the multitudes of souls in his kingdom, all psychically linked with him. It had hurt terribly, and he had suffered greater pain than the week in Pyriphlegethon. But the souls had protected him this time. And he had overwhelmed the creatures, after understanding at last... The divine fire of human souls, after being tested, tortured, became _purified_...

...And so had _his own_. This stronger, purer flame absorbed the elemental creatures, absorbed their power into his. _Just as two flames, joining together, become one._

Now a dark divine phoenix, living blue flames whipping and spiraling out from his body, he rose slowly to his feet. Taking the moment to strike a majestic, triumphant pose, he turned his gaze toward Hecate. The image of him... eyes ablaze with ultimate knowledge, body glowing like a black star... was the most awesome, terrible thing the witch had ever seen, and she cringed in true mortal terror.

Then Hades saw the roses gripping her feet and legs, and raised both brows in approving surprise. So, his sweet wife had taken advantage of the opening he presented, and had even struck a hurting blow for his sake. _Damn_, it was starting to actually make him horny. With a hugely satisfied grin and a horrible pun on his lips, he addressed the witch. "Hecate, babe, didn't you know you _can't fight fire with fire?"_ He snickered, "Okay, well, maybe _I_ can."

Hecate groaned, as much in pain as at the stinkeroo he'd uttered. Not to mention the fact he still lived. He was supposed to be weakened, goddamnit! He'd admitted it himself! The spell was strong enough to work... but only if he'd been as weak as planned. And he was now, in fact, more powerful than he'd ever been before.

Pulling his flames inward, down to normal, Hades released his connection to all the souls. He smiled reassuringly at his tearful wife, who sighed in heartfelt relief and began to relax. Then he went to his minions and snapped their bonds. With the extent of power at his disposal now, the black magic in the chains melted under his touch. Once freed, Pain and Panic leaped up, happily grabbing onto their master's ankles and hysterically sobbing their grateful devotion.

"You _do_ care about us!" Pain yowled, tears spurting from his eyes.

"We knew it was just tough love!" Panic gibbered, equally misty.

Hades just sighed, kicking them loose. Minions, whaddaya gonna do? Then he turned his attention back to matters at hand, advancing on the witch with the darkest seething hatred on his face. "Okay, Hecate... death-wise, what's it gonna be?" he politely growled. "Slow-and-agonising? Or quick-and-excruciating?"

"You call that a choice?" she squawked.

"Well, I could just take my fork," he hissed, retrieving it from the floor, "and shove it up your ass sideways. How's _that_ sound?"

Having no doubt he would gladly do exactly what he said, she groveled, trying to reason with him. "Look Hades, heh-heh... I'm just an immortal witch. I don't know what could have possibly possessed me, thinking I could stand up to a pair of gods. Such _merciful_, divine beings. So, uh, let's just chalk this one up to experience and go our separate ways, eh?"

Hades actually stopped looming so hugely, and smiled. She was singing the right tune now. "Hmm, well I have to admit, I am impressed with your scheme to get rid of me. It was pretty clever."

Hecate had squinted her eyes in fear, but this comment made her open them again. Her voice was somewhat hopeful of survival. "Oh?"

"Oh, yeah." He crossed his arms casually, nodding with praise. "You saw my weak spots and exploited them like a real pro. I stand in awe of your plan. It was truly a gem of evil. Couldn't have done much better myself."

If it hadn't been for the fierce pain in her thorn-mangled legs, Hecate might have beamed with pride. "Well, you know, I did my best..."

And then Hades was almost right in her face, glaring smoking holes into her eyes, his fangs bared as though she was an appetizer and he'd skipped lunch. The prongs of the dikranon surrounding her fragile neck, he growled, _"Too fucking bad for you it didn't work!"_

"Now dear," Persephone's soft voice interrupted him, "we decided to go easy on her..." And with that, the goddess waved her hand to part the rose vines, freeing the witch's feet. As a bonus, she healed the gouged flesh. She had no reason to continue the punishment, since her love was alive and well.

It was amazing, how easily Hades switched off the rage at his beloved's request. Straightening up, he smiled warmly in her direction. "Ah, right you are." He looked back at the witch, who stood upright like she had rigor mortis, not daring to breath. "Hecate, we'll let this one slide."

The words made Hecate nearly dissolve into a puddle of melted bone, so relieved was she to be in one piece. Sputtering her incoherent gratitude, she tried to move her nearly liquid body and almost collapsed at his feet. She looked as though she was going to prostrate herself before them.

Hades waved her off before she managed to grasp the hem of his chiton and kiss it, or inhale it smoke and all. "Tut-tut. I'm feeling magnanimous today." Then, as if the idea had just occurred randomly (instead of being a well-planned-out maneuver) he said, "Hey, I know, why don't you join us in a toast?"

Hecate nodded vigorously, willing to do anything he said so long as he let her leave while she still had a pulse.

Smiling, he manifested three goblets onto the map table. He put down the dikranon and turned away to fill the glasses, then turned back holding all three. Each held a small portion of reddish liquid, and he gave one to each woman, lifting the last in a graceful salutary gesture. "To the new and improved Underworld!" he declared, then smiled tenderly at Persephone. "And to my brilliant, beautiful queen..."

Hecate nearly choked on her drink. _Queen?_ She swallowed the mouthful, then chugged the rest in one gulp to bolster herself. Then she blurted, "Hey, I thought you said you would never share your throne with _anyone_, now or ever!"

Hades shrugged, arm around his wife's waist as they sipped their drinks. "So I lied. Sue me."

Hecate snarled, furious all over again. _How_ _dare_ that overblown pompous _asshole_ with his smug leering grin, and that serenely empty-headed juvenile _tramp_ just stand there, and think that _I won't...!_ The raging thoughts were silenced when her body began to shake.

The glass she held slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor. Looking down at her hands, she saw her already pale skin grow paler. Her long dark hair fell limply over her shoulders, the violet stripe faded to its natural white. The artificial coloration had been a symbol of her power. In a panicked tone, she hissed, "What... have you _done_ to me? What the hell was in that glass?"

"Just water of Kokytus," Persephone said softly, with the tiniest smile.

Hades held up the bottle he'd taken from her earlier. Of course, he'd poured straight wine for himself and the missus. He added to his wife's statement oh-so casually, "With a twist of lemon, shaken not stirred..."

Hecate had no clue what Kokytus was, but she could tell is was bad. Gazing upward, she suddenly realized just how unbelievably huge the deities both were, towering above her all-too-puny basically human size. "What...?" she queried numbly.

"It means," Persephone continued in the same gentle tone, "that you are now mortal."

Hades chimed in, enjoyably, "It was god-given, so hey, _ba-da-bing ba- da-boom_... a god can take it away." He turned to plant a quick kiss on Persephone's cheek. "You clever little thing..."

A tremulous moan of utter disbelief and horror dribbled from the witch's lips. It was bad enough she had been reduced to purely human status. Worse yet, that her plans had been totally foiled. But it was the ultimate in awful to realize the entire plan had been concocted by the supposed-to-be-innocent goddess, who was quite obviously not so stupid as imagined... instead of the wily old god, who seemed content with second- fiddle quips and gloating. Inconceivable.

Then a further thought occurred, one that could impact what was left of her pathetic life. "My powers...?" Hecate whispered.

Persephone shook her head, still speaking kindly. "No, you still have all your sorcerous abilities. You acquired those on your own. But might I suggest," she added with gentle prodding, "in the future, you use them for _good_, not _evil_?"

"Yes, and one day," Hades went on, generously, "your immortality can be restored to you, if you prove yourself worthy."

Hecate stopped looking terrified and looked disgusted. That old plot line again? Raising one eyebrow, lowering the other into a sneer, she scoffed. "What the fuck do I look like? _Hercules?"_

Hades flared at her. Zero humor glinting across a deadly fanged grin, he said, "That's the deal, Hecate. Take it... or leave it."

"I'll take it," she squeaked, beginning to back away, "and leave!" Self-preservation moving her now-healed feet, she swiftly aimed for the door, then paused. If she still had her powers then she still had use of the hellhounds, and who knew what need she might have of them. Politely, she turned to inquire, "Uh... my minions?"

"Are demons," Hades shook his head firmly. "They stay here."

Not wishing to invite a moment more of his rage, Hecate grinned helplessly. "Gotcha." Then she ran like a caffeine-overdosed gazelle.

Pain and Panic watched the witch depart in a frantic blur, and turned to each other with devious grins. They had left the room briefly during the final round of the battle, partly to find a decent hiding place away from the danger, but mostly knowing their master -and mistress- had things well in hand. And then they had discovered the hellhounds in the next room, a pair of shiny new gift-wrapped trussed-up toys that the imps were practically drooling to play with. It was better than some kind of Wintertime holiday that hadn't yet been invented.

Approaching the goddess, Panic now smiled. He was finally willing to accept her into the household, after seeing her devotion to their master was so strong and true. "So, uh, _Boss_ _Lady_," he simpered, "What should we do with the winged pooches you so neatly nabbed?"

She smiled in return and reached down to pat gently between the imp's horns, making him blush. "Well, Panic dear, I think in this case it's best to ask the expert on demons." And she deferred to her husband with grace.

Hades grinned. He knew Panic had been having trouble dealing with the changes, acting like a child with a new step-mom, and now his darling wife was showing the silly imp there was no threat to the natural order of things. Hades was still the King, the Honcho, the Boss, the Man... and who wore the pants in _private_ was absolutely none of the imp's concern. Snickering, he manifested two rolled-up copies of the newscroll, The Greekly World News, and handed these to the imps, saying, "Here, boys. Knock yourselves out."

"Awright!" Pain chortled. "Puppy piñatas!" Tittering with glee, both imps ran into the adjoining chamber.

The gods left the throne room, accompanied by the satisfying smack of newsprint and the dissatisfied yelp of hellhounds.

They went out to comb the Underworld and locate the remaining minions. Everyone was found in various nooks and crannies, bound and gagged and very put-out. Once released, Cerberus was just droolingly happy to be free, perfectly satisfied with an extra treat. But the lamiae, Furies, and Charon were griping vividly. Hades declared an official day of rest, even for the boatman, and this cheered them up considerably.

The Judges, too, were freed and quite indignant at having been incarcerated, but very pleased to hear the tale of the Lord's and Lady's victory over the usurper. And of the marriage, which they were sorry they'd missed. They then went right back to work on their latest cases, being workaholics in both life and death.

Leuke hadn't been held, but had retreated into her tree, just in case. She heartily congratulated and hugged her two favorite gods with sincere affection, and whispered another quick tip to Persephone, for the honeymoon. They winked to each other as the gods left the alcove.

The god and goddess also addressed the souls hiding in the Elysian Fields, assuring them that things were back to normal and all was well.

The souls went back to their original homes in the Asphodel Meadows willingly. All of them were now bowing down to Hades in awe. It was the single most unusual experience of his life. Persephone smiled at this, her heart filled with joy for her husband. He had come to realize, at long last, that the Underworld was not only his _kingdom_... it was his _temple_.

Persephone then went to Lethe to prepare a method for reincarnation. Since she was banned from the Underworld for six months of every year, there was no need to make souls wait that long to begin a new life. She took a final handful of seeds from her peroné and held them cupped in her hands. Aura flaring, she infused them with her powers of life, then dropped the seeds into the pool. They sank to the bottom, rooting in the rocky floor, and there grew a garden of life beneath the waters. A soft glow emanated thereafter from the depths of Lethe, slowly releasing just enough restorative power into the waters to allow any soul who drank it to be reborn.

The gods' final act was one of protection. Together they locked the doors to the Fall of Tears, sealing it forever with a spell that would allow only one with the soul of a god to enter or exit. They considered trying to seal it over completely, blotting its influence out, but Hades wasn't sure what effect that might have. Also, he'd already been blocked from part of his kingdom once, and he wasn't ready to accept another similar situation. It didn't matter though. They both knew neither of them would cross the threshold again, willingly.

At last, they returned to the throne chamber while Hades contemplated the matter of Hecate. He had been in favor of swift, and preferably gruesome, death. But it was Persephone's belief that even the witch, like himself, could somehow be redeemed. And he couldn't deny her the chance to find out. Only time would tell... but he would be keeping a watchful eye on Hecate, nevertheless.

Having reached his throne, Hades mused aloud, "You know, I guess I should get a second throne made for you..." Then he turned with a grin, sat and pulled his wife onto his lap, making her chuckle. "But this works for now."

She smiled at him, their faces close. His arms were firm and devoted around her, his lap warm... and hard. Snuggling up, she agreed, "It works very nicely."

He looked into her shining eyes, reflecting his own. He was so in awe of her, and all she had done. She had given herself completely and unselfishly to him, had lovingly healed his damaged heart and soul. She had in every possible way come to his rescue, when no one else in the universe would have bothered. And frankly, she'd kicked ass when the chips were down. Everything about her aroused him, on every conceivable level. He only prayed he could give her half of what she had already given him. Perhaps one day they would figure out a way to have children. If anyone could do it, it would be her...

He knew, too, he would never look at another woman in this way. In fact, he vowed, he even wouldn't bother looking at any other woman ever again, unless she had somehow managed to afford a bottle of Aphrodite's new line of magical cologne (_Oh So Irresistible Moi™_) and taken a bath in it. And that, of course, meant zilch.

With sincerity that overflowed his heart, he said to his True Love, "I am so glad to have you in my life, my Flower. I just wish... it didn't have to be only half of the time..."

"I will be with you forever, my Flame," she smiled tenderly, caressing his cheek. "We only have a few days before I leave, but I'll be back the first of Autumn. And I'll be back again and again, every year, until the end of time. For you, I will always return..." Lowering her lashes, she tilted her mouth toward his, and he responded most gladly.

But before their lips could connect, their faces were pelted with a smattering of crispy white pellets. Persephone put up one hand to ward off further attack. Hades, sputtering and snarling, glared down at his imps, who had apparently finished their hellhound haranguing and were clutching bags of rice. One look from him forestalled a second barrage of grainy missiles.

"Are you joking with this?" Hades inquired, voice dangerously carefree.

"But, your Connubial Blissfulness," Pain said hesitantly, "isn't it tradition?"

"You know what you can do with your tradition?" Hades flamed up hotly. Shifting so that Persephone would not be touched, he gathered a fireball into his palm and threw it toward Pain as a warning shot. "You can fucking _shove_ it!"

And shove it he did. Sweating in fear, Pain rapidly stuffed the entire bag of rice into his mouth, before Hades chose a more uncomfortable orifice.

Persephone rolled her eyes. Then she turned to her smoldering husband, dusted the last speck of rice off his shoulders, and kissed him so thoroughly that he forgot the imps even existed, promising to kiss every inch of his body until he forgot the whole damned _world_ existed.

Panic was thrilled by the entire scene, for a change, and smiled and sighed wistfully as the two gods barely separated their lips long enough to rise from the throne and vanish upstairs for their honeymoon. The imp knew things would be truly okay because, even with a beautiful goddess sitting on his lap, the Boss had been furiously unreasonable and had taken out his anger on them again. Life was perfect.

"Yep," Panic giggled happily, "he's completely back to normal! Heehee!" And he danced around his still-chewing partner, until Pain joined him in celebration.

ς

* * *

**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	19. Epilogue: Happy Trails to All & to All a...

******HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL - **quantum witch © 1998

(see Chapter 1 for rating, warnings, and summary)

* * *

_In which there are cameos by everyone under the earth (and some from above), as the Underworld 2.0 is revealed, and finally Hades and Persephone are given yet another prophecy they are more than happy to fulfill... if I can mange to get the sequel written._

* * *

**EPILOGUE: HAPPY TRAILS TO ALL & TO ALL A GOOD LIFE  
**Ο Επικουρος Ισοτεκεστος

**- o - ONE - o - **

There were two signs next to the boat dock beside the River Styx, where souls awaited the boat across into the Underworld. One read:

FULL SERVICE LINE  
_Please wait for ferryboat__  
__Have exact change ready_

The second read:

SELF-SERVICE LINE  
_Take a life jacket__  
__& swim for it, losers_

The dozen souls who stood there now were more than a bit disconcerted by this. They decided to wait for the boat.  
A couple of them were worried they would be forever stuck wandering the shores of the Styx, because the circumstances of their deaths had left them without a coin on their bodies to pay the boatman for crossing into the Underworld. But now they noticed a small bucket up the shoreline, containing loose change. A handwritten sign attached to the receptacle read:

NEED A DRACHMA, TAKE ONE  
GOT A DRACHMA, LEAVE ONE  
_compliments of the Goddess Styx_

Those without coins hesitantly gathered up what they needed and rejoined the other waiting souls.

When the barge arrived, they were all a bit surprised at the fact Charon was wearing a jaunty fisherman's cap and a t-shirt painted with the slogan _'Bad To the Bone'_. Even more surprisingly, he was no longer alone in his task. A teenaged demi-goddess with dingy yellow skin and dull purple hair, wearing a chitonion grey as crematory ashes, sat beside him, looking gloomy but quite content with her position (though she often enjoyed staffing the self-service line, where she handed out life jackets and casually stiff-armed the souls straight into the water). She was Algea, personification of Distress and one of three daughters of Eris. And now she was happily assisting her new boyfriend, the skeletal demon who stood at the helm of the boat.

Charon spoke, a rather unusual thing for him in the past, but he'd really come out of his dried-up husk of a shell lately. "Mortals, give up payment for this ride..." He held out a bony hand, and each soul gave him the coins that had been placed on the eyes or in the mouths of their corpses. Charon then gave most to the girl to place in the till-box, but pocketed several coins for himself, for his potential retirement. When the souls looked shocked at this blatant skimming of the profits, he shrugged and said huskily, "Hey, the only certain things are death and taxes... Now you can save time, and get both at once."

Algea spoke as the boat pushed off from shore, her voice seeming to convey misery and enjoy it. "Please remain seated, unless you really wanna take a dip, in which case I don't care. This is a short trip so there will be no refreshments or in-float movies," she grinned, which on her face looked so absolutely wrong. "Enjoy the ride, 'cause it's the last one you'll ever get. Now, how about a little musical number!" she chirped and began to sing a favorite children's song. Charon picked up on the following beat, after which they both encouraged the souls to sing along.

The souls were beginning to think they'd have preferred staying on the banks of the Styx, even if it meant wandering aimlessly for eternity. Anything was better than even a single refrain of _Row, Row, Row Your Boat._ Too late now. There was a sign on the till-box:

NO REFUNDS  
NO EXCHANGES  
_NO KIDDING_

The boat crossed the River Styx, now completely devoid of souls, as the goddess herself had declared retirement. She was seen now, sitting on the steps of her silver-pillared palace, actually in full nymph form for a change, beside her doting husband, Pallas. The green-haired and -skinned half-Titan, seldom seen in the past, was now holding up her slender foot, polishing the nails for her. Styx smiled contentedly, quite pleased that her plot with the Fates had accorded Hades the happiness he deserved. Her own sister Philyra had suffered at Kronos' hands as well, but was now living just down the river bank and seemed quite sanguine. And another sister, Daeira, had become involved with Demeter and Persephone in establishing the new Eleusinian temple, wherein Hades was being properly acknowledged. Best of all, her own children had moved back from Olympus, at least part-time, where she could keep an eye on them.

The few souls who had partaken of her generous coins at the riverbank, waved in her direction. She nodded her head as they passed. They all thought she was being solicitous by leaving the coins for those in need. But it was far from magnanimous. She was sick and tired of her river being crowded with the unnecessary dead. Once they filled her waters, hung morosely around the shores without entering the Underworld, for hundreds of years. Now, they came down, crossed the river, and she never had to deal with them again. And that was just peachy with her.

At the cavernous gateway to the Underworld itself, there was another sign, which baffled the souls. It declared:

PARDON OUR DUST DURING REMODELING  
_Under New Management!_

Frankly, the souls weren't sure whether to be encouraged or worried.

Through the gates the ferryboat went, past Cerberus, the giant three- headed dog. A sign was posted there as well:

DO NOT FEED, PET,  
OR ATTEMPT TO BRIBE  
THE DOG!

(There were _waaaay_ too many signs around now.) But the poor pooch was so tired of barking at all the souls running around that he'd given up and was taking a nap, flat on his back, feet kicking in the air as he dreamed, and snoring 'til he shook the rafters. Three giant noses make a lot of noise.

Floating down Acheron, the new souls saw there were grassy walkways along both sides, and flowers and bushes grew abundantly. Other souls were ambling by, laughing and talking as though this was any ordinary day of their former lives. Set throughout the walls were light-filled caverns, converted into comfortable homes where many people resided. Odder yet, there seemed to be storefronts and multi-colored-lighted advertising signs posted on the walls. When they finally saw the huge skull-shaped palace of Hades, it too had lights blazing in nearly every window above its dome, making the Underworld fairly well-lit for the first time since its creation.

The Underworld was _definitely_ not the way they'd heard it would be.

Charon docked the boat on the opposite shore from the palace, and Algea directed them out saying, "Bye-bye, now. Thanks for cruising on the Stygian Princess. Have a nice death!" She waved them toward a standing line of other souls.

A long, long, _loooong_ line.

Good thing they had eternity to wait.

**- o - TWO - o - **

It was at least half a day before the new arrivals reached the beginning of the line, and by that time there were already a hundred or more behind them. They recognized some of the others, as there were many victims the current war raging between Crete and the whole area of Attica, especially Athens. Nearly six months earlier, King Minos II of Crete had declared war because of an accident leading to the death of his only son. War always created a larger-than-usual intake of souls to the Underworld, and there were (still more) signs posted, thanking everyone for their patience in waiting.

At the front of the line was a counter where several attractive nymphs sat, each at her own little cubicle. The souls each went to a different cubicle, whereupon they discovered the nymphs had been gifted with speech (thanks to Hermes). These charming sweet-voiced nymphs instructed the souls each to fill out a form with their name, former residence, and method of death. The souls were then given a stick-on badge with their name and a number to wear. After which they were directed to a second long, long, _loooong_ line.

Another half-day passed. When the souls reached the counter at the front of the second line, they went again to different cubicles. This time they were confronted by beautiful lamiae, who studied an appointment calendar. The demonesses decided which Judge the souls would confer with before facing actual trial, found a general timeframe when that Judge was available, then told the souls to hang around and enjoy the scenery because it might take days. The workload, they explained, was pretty intense right now, but they had brought in an extra judge -Dike, Goddess of Justice herself- to relieve some of the excess. When appointment times were near, the lamiae continued, someone would fetch the souls along promptly.

It was rather ironic these particular souls had all died due to the invasion of King Minos' armies. One of the regular Judges was the king's own grandfather, Minos I, who wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of seeing his grandson's handiwork arriving on a daily basis. But he was dead now and had a job to do, and there was little he could have done about his madman of a relative anyway.

Dulled to silence from the surprises they'd faced, the new souls turned from the table and were greeted by yet another shock. Two smiling imps, one plump and magenta-colored, the other skinny and greenish-blue.

"Welcome new arrivals!" the green imp declared cheerfully, speaking rather unnecessarily through a megaphone. He wore a vest, to which was pinned a button reading: _'The price of your soul, after inflation, wouldn't buy you an olive pit'._

The imp continued, loudly, "My name is Panic, and this is my associate Pain! We're here to give you a personal tour of the Afterlife!" Both imps were quite pleased with their new guide jobs, since it gave them more time off and was generally less messy and vicious. Generally.

The magenta imp, apparently living up to his name, was wearing a pierced nose ring and a leather body-harness, and was obviously chafing uncomfortably under both. "As you can see," he said in a cracking voice, "things are quite different around here, now. We're the latest model with all the bells and whistles, and all-new options. Nope, this is not your father's Underworld!"

"Pain, dear, are you trying to be funny?" Another demi-goddess, this one with watery-blue skin and sun-orange hair, wearing a tight-fitting black leather gladiator-style costume, had appeared practically out of nowhere and was tugging on a leash now attached to the imp's nose ring. She was Ate, personification of Mischief, another daughter of Eris. "You know how lame your jokes can be. You should know better."

"Uh, sorry, Mistress Ate," he lowered his eyes with false contrition, trailing one toe in the dust coyly. "I don't know where I'd be if you didn't... _correct_ me..."

She sighed and pinched his chubby cheek between long red fingernails. The adorable little minion was her favorite, especially since he was willing to morph into absolutely any form she requested. "When you're finished with your duties, I expect to see you upstairs in my chambers, pronto. Got it?"

Pain simpered and sniveled and kissed her feet and promised to be there. She swatted him affectionately on the backside with a riding crop, flashed a hard leering smile then vanished, leaving him bowing to the air.

Embarrassed, Panic hauled him to his feet. "Geez, can't you guys wait 'til after-hours? And why do you let her literally lead you around by the nose like that? It's-it's... _unmanly_, or something."

Pain winked in his direction. "Just don't ask where _else_ she pierced me..." When his partner winced and looked greener than usual, he proudly remarked, "Hey, it's pain. But it's a _good_ kind of pain." Turning, the plump demon addressed the new souls, ignoring their expressions of alarm, disgust, shock and nausea. "Well, let's get on with this tour then. I've got a hot date!"

Gagging slightly, Panic turned to lead the group toward the back of the Underworld, past the River Acheron.

**- o - THREE - o - **

"As you can see, things have changed drastically in the realm of the dead," Panic announced, walking along with the megaphone and the group of souls, who covered their ears at the noise. "Gone are the days when souls drift aimlessly in the rivers. The Elysian Fields are now open to all the deserving dead."

"Yep, it's not just for heroes anymore," Pain chimed in with a grin.

The souls gazed across the water toward the impossibly huge island of light. Non-heroic souls had taken up residence on the Isle of the Blest, but all were worthy of their new home. The adults had lived truly good, giving lives. And there were children here as well, unlike any other part of the Underworld. Everyone was happy and carefree, strolling, dancing, playing, singing. Small apartments had been built for anyone who desired a sense of privacy. And there was a colossal playground/theme park just visible on the horizon, huge and sprawling, with castles and rides and various attractions. Oceanides, nereides, naiades, dryades, oreades, orestiades, and even lamiae were present everywhere, performing various hostess or daycare duties.

One lilac-and-marine-blue oceanid walked along the shore of the island, and when she saw the imps she waved hello. She carried on her hip an small boy with purple skin and darker blue hair. Rhodope had moved into the Underworld after Apollo (predictably and quickly) dumped her, bringing their son Kichon with her. She preferred darkness to sunlight now.

Passing the Elysian Fields, the imps guided their group toward a pool of water far behind the palace. A number of souls were lined up around the pool, where a couple lamiae were passing out cups of the water for them to drink. As the souls drank they became more transparent than they already were, eventually turning vaporous and then vanishing completely. The touring souls' eyes grew wide with alarm and wonder.

"This is the Lethe Pool," Panic declared. "Souls who are in the process of rebirth come here to forget their former lives and the Underworld, so as not to be tainted in their new lives."

"It's the ultimate last chance saloon," Pain put in.

Fetching the water directly from the pool and pouring it into a trough was yet another demi-goddess. This was the final daughter of Eris and personification of Obliviousness, who had been appropriately named for the pool she now stood next to. With perky-pink skin and frothy-green hair, she wore a very short, very flimsy white chitoniskos. And she bent over a little too provocatively as she dipped water from the pool. She'd had _quite_ an interesting reputation up on Olympus.

Panic drooled almost helplessly. "Hey, Lethe," he said, sidling up to the girl with a look of adoring lechery, "how's my little luvmuffin?"

She paused in her water-dipping, blinking her eyes hugely at him. "Who are you?"

Pain shook his head. "Sheesh, and you call _me_ bad? Your girlfriend forgets half of what she knows, every hour, on the hour. That could make for some really embarrassing situations."

"It has," Panic sighed, "but she's worth the trouble, believe me." Turning on the charm, he smiled at the girl again. "Sugarcookie, it's _me_...  
your snuggle-wump, your cuddle-puppy, your schnooky-wookums..." Getting no response, he finally morphed into the human appearance Lethe preferred when they were alone. It surprised everyone, even Pain. He was quite a tall muscular stud, but it embarrassed him to be seen in public this way so he reverted to normal quickly, saying, "Remember _now_? It's Panic!"

Recognition and delight flared in her eyes as she squealed, "Oh, _yeah_!" She flung aside the dipper of water, causing the demon girls to leap away before they were splashed with the water of forgetfulness, which only Lethe could touch without lasting consequences. She was so bubble- brained anyway, taking a bath in it wouldn't have affected her in the least. Dropping to her knees, the demi-goddess squeezed the imp until his eyes nearly popped. "Oh, how could I _ever_ forget my widdle poopsie-pie!"

"That's a new one," Pain snickered, amused at his friend's discomfiture.

"Yeah, I'm glad you remember me," Panic struggled loose of her arms. "Now we really have to get on with this tour... But I'll be back before the hour's gone, okay, sweetiecakes?"

"Okie-dokie," she giggled inanely, and then had to be reminded of her water-dipping duties by the lamiae.

Walking away with the souls in tow, Pain grinned. "Well, I guess I was wrong. You _did_ manage to get a pretty girl to touch you with a ten- foot pole."

Panic snorted. "At least she doesn't _bludgeon_ me with it, like yours does..."

**- o - FOUR - o - **

The imps continued the tour, leading the ever-more-befuddled souls along. They were shown many interesting, peculiar, and downright bizarre sights (not the least of which were the imps themselves), as they walked through the areas of commerce and trade, commonly known as the _Asphodel Meadows Galleria Mall._

"Here we have our commissary, _Old Cornucopia Buffet_," Pain said, licking his lips. "It's all-you-can-stuff-yourself-sick-with, so you can pretend you're still alive! I highly recommend trying the Cap'n Charon's Carrion Crunch breakfast cereal, 'cuz he gets a kickback on the profits." Then he presented the cereal as though he were a spokesman (which he was). "Fortified with calcium and various minerals, and shaped like little bones, it also features colorful marshmallows in the likeness of myself and Panic! Along with a glass of pomegranate juice, it's part of a complete Underworld breakfast!" He grinned as he spoke the final line of his spiel. "It's _Ha-Delicious_!"

Sighing wearily, Panic dragged him by his leather harness, away from the commissary and on to the next attraction.

"This is our fabulous _Leuke Memorial Library & Art Gallery_," Panic announced. "Here you can while away those eternal hours of the Afterlife with your nose stuck in a scroll from any period of history past, in numerous different languages. Maybe you'll learn something along the way." Then he grinned conspiratorially. "The, uh, _back room_ behind that curtain has all the really juicy stuff. Adults only."

"And now we see the _Atlus Gym, Rec Room & Sports Arena_," Pain announced, "the name has been altered ever-so-slightly, to avoid paying royalties to a certain Titan. A very good place to work off the frustration of eternity. Feel free to sign up for one of the sports leagues started by our resident heroes, 'cause they're kinda upset at not having the Elysian Fields all to themselves anymore. The big ol' crybabies." The gym area was run by two children of Styx and Pallas, a couple of jocks named Kratos and Bia. The two demi-gods, both with reddish skin and hair, stood flexing their impressive biceps inside the doorway.

"Next we have _Olive Republic_, and _The Chasm_," Panic waved his hand toward the stores. "The trendiest clothiers in the Underworld. Here you can try out a new look and style for the Afterlife." Grinning lecherously, he added, "We don't yet have a branch of _Aphrodite's Secret_ down here, but we're trying to get a franchise." The two current stores were operated by the other two children of Styx and Pallas, Nike and Zelos, who stood golden, vain and regal in their doors. She fluttered her wings disdainfully, and he looked down his perfect nose at everyone.

"Ahem, moving along now," Pain said, "here is the _Hair-A-Den Hair & Nail Salon_. Believe me, they do good manicures and perms." He held up his claws, which had been clipped and buffed to a shine, and primped the scanty clump of hair atop his horned head. Inside the shop were several souls, sitting in chairs while they were curled, preened, waxed, plucked, dyed and oiled by the charming chatty Gorgon sisters, Stheino, Eurayle and lovely Medusa.

Eyes wide, the souls followed the imps as they walked away.

A small gang of roving miscreants passed by. The teen boys were quite an interesting mixture. One muscular, with fiery-orange skin and jewel- blue hair, wearing a black leather gladiator suit. The next, lanky and lean, dull-purple and sickly-yellow, in a grey chitoniskos with a skull printed on the chest. The third, thin and graceful, verdant-green and burnished-red, dressed in a somewhat feminine white chiton and  
himation. They sneered, pointed and made admittedly creative insults at the imps, but moved on without further harassment.

Sighing, Panic informed the souls, "Those uncouth ruffians were Orkos, Ponos, and Limos, sons of Eris. They personify Pledging, Suffering, and Craving. And they're not exactly _thrilled_ that we're dating their sisters..."

"Yeah, they all got kicked off Olympus, and no place else would have 'em but down here," Pain chuckled, then he too sighed.

"Unfortunately, their mom paid their rent up 'til next century, so we can't evict them. But at least they don't wreck the place. Hades is a tough landlord."

Bewildered, the souls followed them on the rest of the tour.

"Now we come to the home office of _The Chthonian Inquisitor_," Panic said, "a sleazy tabloid newscroll for all the juicy tidbits you could ever hope to learn about the Underworld and Olympus. Companion paper to that other well-known rag, _The Olympian Observer_. Although, being mortals, you've probably never read either one. It's mostly gossip but what can you expect, considering who writes the stuff?" The journalist in charge was Ossa, Rumor personified, who waved cheerily from the doorway. All pink and purple, she stood scribbling away as always on her scroll-pad.

"And next we see _The Golden Ram Casino_," Pain announced with a giggle, "a great place to get fleeced. Inside is also the _Argo Lounge_, where you can see Hermes perform his greatest hits every weekend, after which he will gladly sign autographs for his loyal fans." The casino and lounge were owned and operated by Tyche, Goddess of Good Fortune. She sat behind the front counter, a gold-silver-and-green mountain of loveliness, beaming a huge smile of welcome to all.

"And here we have _Homing Harpy_, a private messenger service," said Panic, indicating a small window set in the wall. "This is for sending letters to still-living loved ones. But I'm not sure how well it functions since it is run by harpies after all, and you know how _they_ can be." The three ragged bird-women screeched in annoyance at him. They may have been agents of chaos, but they were still the most vaguely trustworthy of the bunch, Podarge, Aello, and Kelaeno.

"This is someplace you won't want to visit, and hopefully none of you will wind up staying here either," Pain declared, shivering. "_The Hall of Infamy_, a not-so-pleasant tourist attraction featuring the most doomed souls around." In various scenes of torture and agony were Sisyphus, Tantalos, Oknos, Tityus, Phlegyas, and the fifty daughters of Danaus, among others. Overseeing them all was the blackly smiling demon Eurynomos, who wore a carnival barker-style straw hat as he gleefully spun the Wheel Of Torture for each resident in the Hall. He seemed to enjoy his job a bit much, so Pain and Panic shuddered and moved on quickly.

"The Underworld has also attracted other deities, as you may have noticed," Panic informed the souls. "Some of these, such as Nyx and Erebos, have been here for quite some time. The two of them now run the _Eternal Night Club_, where you can boogie down to that infernal sound for all eternity. And there's never a cover charge."

"Also, you'll see to your left their daughter Nemesis, goddess of Vengeance," Pain smiled. "When she's not out exacting revenge for the gods upon the world-at-large, she builds all the _torture devices_ we use around here." He cringed slightly, adding, "Ate visits her a lot." They passed by her home and saw the robust yellow-skinned black-haired goddess, wearing skimpy black leather, sharpening her morphing weaponry arms with a gleam in her red eyes. Nearby sat her companion Aidos, the embodiment of Shame, a petite pink-skinned blonde wearing just as skimpy earth tones and wielding a long staff and a pair of long daggers.

"Another daughter of the dark couple," said Panic, "is Oizys, personification of Loss and Woe, who now runs our _counseling center_. She helps souls to deal with the pain of death and to prepare for a new life. This also encourages reform, in order to avoid torture in the Afterlife. My advice... Take advantage of the offer." Wearing a flowing grey himation pulled over her head, her dark blue skin and long sweeping black hair framed gentle pale-blue eyes. She stood in her doorway, welcoming another lost soul into her office with a gentle smile.

"Here is the grand home of Hypnos, son of the aforementioned elder deities, and his son Morpheus," Pain said, sweeping his hand toward twin pillars of silver and bone. "They are, of course, the gods of Sleep and Dreams, with whom all mortals are familiar. I'm afraid they don't come out to socialize very often. But there are few of their minions around. Don't shake their hands though, unless you want to catch some _z-z-zetas_ yourself." Several of the Oneirata drifted by, ignoring those who were dead or awake. They were mere shapes and shadows and only communicated through the sleep state.

"Also not available at present are three other sons of Nyx and Erebos," Panic said, indicating the doorways of three more homes, "one of whom is Momos, personification of Mockery. He can often be seen performing stand-up comedy at the nightclub, and is currently on a Greece-wide tour with his act. He does a great impersonation of the Boss," the imp snickered. "He's okay, sometimes."

"Yeah, but I'd avoid the other two guys," Pain shook his head. "Apate is Deceit, a real smarmy character. He mostly manages the career of Momos and their brother Philotes..."

"...Whom I'm sure the _ladies_ here will love," Panic rolled his eyes. "He's a big, buff dancer, and sometimes he tours the Underworld. Be sure to catch his routine on Ladies' Night at the Eternal Night Club. And bring a few drachma along for his g-string..."

The few female souls looked somewhat abashed, but intrigued.

"Speaking of which," Pain grinned hugely, "for the gentlemen in our group, there is soon to be an attraction for us as well. Some of the girls around here are rehearsing for our first ever _Naughty Nymph Revue_ ,which you can catch in the Argo Lounge starting next week!"  
The larger number of souls being male, there was a bit of cheering and nudging of elbows.

"Oh, look! We have a rare treat today!" Panic declared, smiling and waving at someone. "Eris herself, also a daughter of Nyx and Erebos, and the lovely charming goddess of Strife and Discord." He bowed humbly in the direction of the one he hoped to call 'Mom' someday.

Turning her head toward them, the goddess smiled. She was extremely beautiful, but her coloring clashed outrageously. Sunburst-orange skin, and long sweeping fuchsia-purple hair with lightning streaks of lemon- yellow and lime-green. Her eyes were both different colors, one neon- blue, the other flaming-red. She wore black thigh-high booted leather sandals and ash-grey armor, with a short white chitoniskos beneath. Now she approached the imps who dated her daughters.

On a leash, she led the hellhounds Havoc and Mayhem. They'd been sold into service to a goddess who kept them only for show, because she absolutely adored their names. They weren't totally thrilled, but she didn't mistreat them and had given them immortality, which they were now beginning to regret. Seeing the snickering imps, the hellhounds growled but were quickly silenced by Eris tugging their leashes, hard.

"Greetings, your Divine Dissonance," Pain smiled, with a curtsy toward his potential mother-in-law. "Taking a break from the war upstairs?"

"Just a brief one. Things are reaching a critical juncture." Her voice was smooth and mellow, and the imps sighed at the sound. Though she sowed dissent in the world, she herself was always the calm before chaos, the eye of the storm. "Looking for my boys, to stir the pot a bit for me. Seen them lately?"

"They went that-a-way," Pain said, thumbing down the corridor.

"Thanks, sugar," she patted him on the head and left, dragging her sullen pets behind.

Suddenly, a fight broke out among several souls down by the casino. The brawl was a result of Eris' powers, which she usually controlled while in the Underworld though sometimes it was still unavoidable.

"Okay, I guess we'd better conclude this tour," Panic sighed, guiding the group of souls away from the ruckus. "There are other things to see, but we really don't have much time so we'll just tell you a little about them on the way..."

They all walked back toward the palace, while the imps expounded on some other denizens and attractions to be seen. _The Fates_,  
daughters of Nyx and Erebos, who were always enigmatic and probably best avoided. _The Sphinxes_, who ran the various information booths, but good luck if you could get a straight answer from them. _The Griffins_, Hades' personal steeds, which they advised not to feed because one of them was on a diet. _The Dragons_, Cadmus and Harmonia, who had actually moved into the Underworld for their retirement, go figure, and now ran the _Advent Golf Course_ inside the Elysian Fields. _Hemera and Aither_, Day and Light personified, also children of Nyx and Erebos, who plied their annoyingly perky trades as activities directors in _Camp Cabeiria for Kiddies_, way in the back of the Elysian Fields. And the _Cyclopes_ and _Hundred-handed Giant_ brothers, all of whom were currently helping Hades develop a much bigger version of Tartarus, in the event it was needed.

**- o - FIVE - o - **

Within the first few months of redeveloping the Land of the Dead, many immortals had volunteered their help, much to the surprise and delight of the rulers of the realm. Now, slightly more than one year later, operations were fairly well established but most of them had stayed on. Some still performed various duties relating to the Underworld while others had set up shop for themselves, catering to immortal visitors and dead residents alike. Others merely moved in, saying it was a much more interesting place to live than Olympus (many of them were, of course, the dregs of godly society anyway). Those that didn't take up residence visited on a fairly regular basis, enjoying the night life. The still- living population within the land of death had, basically, exploded.

The Underworld was crawling with demons, nothing new. But it also had become the dwelling place for nymphs, minor deities and personifications, as well as other strange immortal beings. It had totally changed within one short year, from a gloomy place of eternal punishment and misery into... well, a happenin' community.

When the touring souls were finally brought to the palace and up to the throne room, they were practically numb from everything they'd witnessed. But it seemed like things wouldn't be so terrible in the Afterlife, after all. Maybe having new management was a great idea.  
Then they entered the great throne chamber. And saw the Big Boss Man, Hades, sitting behind a huge stonework desk. Up to his smoking ears in paperwork. Screaming bloody murder.

_"WHY THE HELL ARE WE FILLING THINGS OUT IN TRIPLICATE?"_ he demanded of the lamia standing near his desk. "It's bad enough having triple the incoming souls, with that goddamned war going on. But I don't have _forever_ to go through this shit!"

"Yes, you do," replied the demoness, with the absolutely smallest of smiles.

"Ahh, shuddup wench," he groused. Crumpling up the extra copies of the papers he didn't wish to be bothered with, Hades lit a fire in the wastebasket with his fingertip and happily dropped them into the blaze. He could remember when he'd loved war, had gloated happily over the suffering and deaths of mortals, been thrilled at the fact humans were constantly killing themselves. Once upon a time, he had even considered it his duty to help them along, seeing his kingdom as being enriched with each new soul that came his way. It was like increasing his revenue, adding gold to his coffers.

Now he couldn't wait for them all to leave.

He frowned at his secretary. "From now on, _one copy only_, got it? One _soul_ per person, one _form_ per soul. That's enough for anyone, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

The demoness shook her horned head and fluttered her wings. "Fine, you only have yourself to blame if things don't go smoothly. Those were new arrivals anyway, so I guess they can wait a while." She riffled through the papers she currently held to remove the extra pages, and gave him the pile still remaining. "This is the backlog. No more waiting on these, they've been waiting forever already."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," Hades muttered, taking the thick sheaf of papers with an expression of martyrdom on his haggard face. Then he seemed to finally notice the group of souls standing across the room, and sighed in renewed exasperation. "Oh, what the hell's this? _Another_ group of casualties touring their eternal resting place? Can we rest it in peace, already?"

"Just improving the Underworld image, your Irascibility," Pain said, smiling broadly, hoping to lighten the Boss' mood. "Just showing a little hospitality."

"Just fueling the happy little hype machine," Hades sneered under his breath.

Panic turned half-aside to the souls and whispered, "Ignore the Boss. He's a bit... ah, _tense_ these last couple months. The missus is away at her other job, you see..."

Hades flared hotly. "Too much information, Panic." When the imp cringed and hid behind one of the souls, he rolled his eyes. "Shit. Forget it, I don't care, just don't ask me to make any damned welcome speech. I've got way too much paperwork to deal with." Grimacing at the stack of scrolls before him, he retracted. "On second thought, perhaps a speech would be the lesser of two evils."

Standing up, ignoring the secretary's sigh, pasting a not-so-friendly smile on his face, he began. "Welcome to the Afterlife. I'm sure we'll get to know you much better, as soon as your paperwork is processed." His hands clenched on the edge of his desk and he frowned at his secretary. "I'm afraid that it could take some time, as we still have hundreds of thousands of much older souls to get through first. And of course the war upstairs is causing a bit of a headache for some of us. Namely _me_. But we are trying to squeeze in a few new souls each day, so your number could be up soon. In the meantime, please avail yourselves of the various facilities... and _stay out of my way_, if possible.

"But don't think you're getting out of being judged," he added, "That's the purpose of this whole new ball game. Our three usual Judges were once human like you, so they understand you and they'll be fair and reasonable. So will our pinch-hitter judge, Dike. If you're found worthy, you'll go to the Elysian Fields until you're ready to return to the earth above. Yes, that's right folks, you purchased a round-trip ticket on the ferryboat. So whenever you're ready -the sooner the better, in my opinion- - you'll be reborn. Brand new body, brand new life, _ba-da-bing ba-da-boom_, brand new baby. Yeah, we're keeping the stork busy around here.

"Now as I said, if you're judged worthy it's the Elysian Fields for you, which my wife operates when she's home." His face creased with tension, but he sighed. "However, if you're a bad seed, it's one of three choices. Borderline cases, those who aren't completely evil to the core, can choose to go into _therapy_ for a while. If you'd rather just be an unrepentant asshole and waste my damned time, you get the _Vortex of Fire_. Extreme cases, those not even deserving forgiveness, get _put on display_ as a warning to all. Frankly, I don't know which option is worse."

At that moment, the Furies emerged from the cavernous doorway to Pyriphlegethon, wearing their terrifying costumes and carrying a nifty array of torture instruments. Seeing the souls, they grinned with huge fangs and hissed gleefully. Now that they had their full-time jobs back, they were ever-so happy.

"Ah, yes," Hades swept his hand in their direction, "and _these_ are my delightful aides. They specialize in correction, rehabilitation, and creative torture." He grinned in a very similar way to his helpers. "Together, we run Tartarus..."

The souls took a collective step backward, hoping they didn't wind up there.

"Okay, tour's over. Now get the hell out of here." And with that, Hades sat back down with a huff and began shuffling papers.

Seeing that he was ignoring them again with steely determination, the imps shrugged and ushered the souls back out the door and down to Asphodel Meadows to check into their temporary rooms.

When they were gone, the lamia sighed. She was about to re-address the issue of the stack of papers on his desk, but caught sight of Leuke behind him. The ghostly dryad shook her head gently, whereupon the demoness rolled her eyes and politely withdrew to leave the Boss alone with his former wife.

As Hades sat slumped over his paperwork, looking grim and annoyed, Leuke placed her light hands on his shoulders. He almost flinched but then, realising who it was, half-turned and smiled a little. She massaged his muscles as best she could, being relatively insubstantial. "Oh baby, you are just _rock-tight_," she cooed in his ear flirtatiously. "Too bad it's in a spot that does neither of us any good..."

He sighed and let her pry his nerves loose with her nimble fingers. "I know, I know... but I've got all this damned work, and it's _still_ not time to go... and why the hell does six months take so much longer than it ever did before?"

Laughing, the nymph kissed his cheek. "Because you're in love, and you're horny."

"No arguments there," he chuckled.

Leuke smiled secretively then, and handed him a small item wrapped in pastel blue paper and tied with a golden ribbon, which he regarded suspiciously. Laughing, she said, "Go on, open it."

He did, and found inside a small toy, a rattle like one might find in a baby's crib. Raising an eyebrow, he droned, "Oooo-kaaay..."

Leaning closer to his ear, the nymph said, "I talked to the Fates, who told me you'd be needing this and more, by next Winter... _Dad_."

Hades' eyes widened, and his heart skipped a delirious beat. "You mean she's-"

"Not yet. But their Tapestry, for some unknown reason, has woven into its strands a pair of baby booties with your name on them," she grinned, "and no, I don't think they're your size, sugar. I'll be handling all the arrangements for the shower and getting the nursery set up, so you don't have to worry about anything but the, _ahem_, particulars of fulfilling your destiny." She giggled and patted his shoulders briskly. "So go on, get out of here. Autumn starts in about two hours. Go give your honey an early birthday present."

Flustered, happy, afraid, and more impatient than ever, Hades needed no further convincing. He turned his head and briefly locked lips with a surprised and pleased Leuke, then promptly dematerialized in puff of smoke, leaving the papers to swirl in confusion on the floor and the nymph to dance giddily back to her alcove.

**- o - SIX - o - **

It was nearly dawn of the Autumn Equinox, her sixteenth birthday, and Persephone was eagerly awaiting her ride home. Last Autumn and Winter had been heaven. She and Hades had been inseparable (except for that one incident with that stupid Sisyphus guy), and the Underworld had flourished. Then the season of life for the dead was ended, as it began on earth. And though they had tried to find time to be together, it hadn't worked as planned.

A huge war had broken out. Thousands of people had died, were still dying. Hades had been virtually alone in dealing with the massive influx of newly dead, was determined to keep the system working, and hadn't had time to breathe let alone visit her. They'd sent messages back and forth when they could, but it had been miserable for them both.

Demeter's new temple at Eleusis had been completed rapidly during the Winter months, and luckily had stayed safe during the crisis. Persephone, lonely without her husband, had found some comfort there, helping to develop the Mysteries. The priests and priestesses Demeter chose were very eager to pass along the truth to future initiates. Also, a small cave in the hillside of the sanctuary was set aside for Hades' own temple, and Demeter had begun to call him _Plouton_, a variation of one of his many titles, and a representation of how obviously enriched love had made him. At last, Demeter had accepted her daughter's marriage to Hades and moved on with life.

Being with her mother was on a wholly different level now, and Persephone began to feel their old comfortable connection rebuilding itself. The love of mother and daughter flowered anew at last, and she found she was glad of it.

During this time however, Demeter had begun to hint that she wanted a new child. She was aware her personal procreative abilities were no more, having been passed over to her daughter with all other Springtime powers. But when she noticed how wistful and saddened this idea made Persephone, she withdrew the request. She saw then just how much Persephone wanted her own child by Hades, and after much discussion came to understand it might be impossible. He had been sterilized through Kronos, the powers of death that he inherited had destroyed his chances.

Persephone had been trying to convince herself it was for the best, she and Hades had so little time together as it was, and a child would only distract them from each other. But clearly she still longed for it. Demeter suggested the option by which she'd conceived, doing it alone. After all, Persephone had the power. But she sighed, not wishing to leave her husband out of the equation.

Demeter then lamented for her daughter, realising just how much Persephone truly loved and wanted to share everything with Hades. Once more, Demeter regretted her own actions, and vowed now to find a way to help her child become a mother. Long discussions with her own mother Rhea, with Gaia, and with Persephone's details about Hades, led her to a theory. And when the Fates themselves appeared on the last day of Summer, smiling enigmatically as they declared Demeter would enjoy being a grandmother, the goddess knew her theory was right. When she passed all this along to her daughter, Persephone began to cry softly, hopeful and excited. Though conception would be unusual at best, it was fitting considering who the parents were. At least there was a chance of success.

And now Persephone waited eagerly for her beloved to arrive, just outside her dark grove on Nysa, as they'd planned when she'd left the Underworld six months earlier. He, too, had been resigned to the idea of never having a child, but had told her when and if they could figure a way around it, he would gladly become a father. Now she had a possible plan, and could hardly wait to implement it. She glanced skyward in anticipation, hoping he would be along soon...

Then she saw a dark spot on the horizon above the treetops. It was still twilight, Eos not yet awakened enough to show herself. But the spot was darker than the sky, and it moved forward rapidly. Gradually she made out a pair of large black griffins, pulling a larger-than-expected black chariot. In the vehicle was her larger-than-life flaming-haired darling, wearing flowing black and a giant smile.

The chariot flew down, then hovered a few feet above the meadow floor. Hades gazed down at his wife, and his heart nearly burst with love. She was dressed in her Springtime colors of white and green, with tiny stray flowers in her hair and a radiant living beauty none could imitate. Not yet ready to drop the big surprise on her, he instead flicked his wrist and produced a narcissus, the very same immortal flower he'd first given her, offering it up along with his soul. Smiling, he said, "Happy birthday, beautiful."

She accepted it all, would always do so, and closed her eyes as she inhaled the flower's eternal perfume. Though bursting to tell him the news, she opened her eyes and regarded the vehicle he rode in with unconcealed amusement. "And what is _this_? A new chariot?"

"Yeah, Hephaestus made it for me," he grinned and demonstrated its features. "Room for two this time. Rumble seat in the back," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "And cruise control so, hey, no hands on the wheel, y'know? Only stick-shift in _this_ wagon is attached to yours truly."

She grinned broadly. "Wow. You just thought of everything, didn't you?"

"You know it." He leaned down over the rail of the chariot and ogled her with great appreciation. "So... Babe," he drawled throatily, "wanna take the joyride of your life? 'Mr. Hades' Wild Ride' is a real E-ticket, y'know. Come on, I'll only bite where you _like_ it..."

"In _that_ thing? With a guy like _you_?" she snickered, trying to look innocent and young, batting her eyes at up him. "I dunno. I think you're both a little _dangerous_..."

"Worst there is," he laughed. And with that, he reached down and grabbed her in his strong arms. "Might as well abduct you good and proper this time."

She giggled as he swung her up into the chariot, then sighed deeply as he held her tight, kissing her with such breathtaking passion that she couldn't see straight.

Heart pulsing with devotion, he tasted her sweetness and knew he would do whatever necessary to fulfill their desires. Finally raising his lips, he whispered against her ear, "I've missed you something _fierce_, my sweet one..."

"Oh, Hades..." She pressed against him, never wanting to be apart again, knowing that every year, for all eternity, they would have no choice but to be. Her exciting, hopeful news put itself on the back- burner, as her heart throbbed with longing and love. "Oh, I missed you too. Please, my love... take me _home_..."

He told the griffins to take the scenic route back.

Their clothes were off before they'd crossed the Ionian Sea.

**_More or less... The End_**  
Αισιο Τελος

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**_see author's research notes in chapter 21_**


	20. author's notes

**Note about the notes:**

**Things I should never have to do, but wind up having to anyway - Reminding people of what I created vs. what Disney created, or what was in mythology. **

**Take note of those things, and _please don't steal_. Many things I've underlined and pointed out specifically, are things I've ALREADY had plagiarized. The rest I am being proactive about, and making it clear without doubt that _they are mine, not Disney's nor directly from mythology._**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

► **THE STORY ITSELF.** This is primarily a far-too-well-researched-for-its-own-damned-good piece of fan-fiction. It is based largely on two things: "Disney's Hercules" and the Homeric _"Hymn to Demeter"._ I do draw very marginally upon Ovid's "_Metamorphoses_" (though I avoid him as much as possible) and I have also used bits from Hesiod's "_Theogony_" and fragments of poems from the Orphic tradition. The rest is strictly from my own up-close experience with the gods and goddesses involved, as well as personal theories developed over time. Since Disney borrowed mostly from Homer, I tried to adhere mostly to that version in this story. If I had presented the story according to what history showed first, things would have been… quite different.  
**► TITLE.** In English, the title is pretty self-explanatory, with a play on the "eternal spring" of one of the main characters. In Greek, the story title _"__Athanate Elpis Xanagennetai_" means more or less "immortal hope reborn"; the last word translates best as "raised from the dead". The subtitle _"Katachthonio Epos Eros" _is a lame attempt at a pun, due to the near-rhyme of the two latter words, and since my "Infernal Epic of Love" is so damned long it really is an epic tale anyway. Also _"epos_" means more than simply a long tale, it can also mean "a prophecy, oracle, or word of a god". Lastly, if you wonder why I call this story a "romance", think of this... All those tacky soft-porn books with titles like "Love's Tender Fury" and "Flame's Eternal Passion" (gag), which are commonly termed "bodice-rippers". You know, the ones with the muscle-bound half-dressed guys holding the voluptuous scantily-clad girls. Well the plot, or their excuse for it, is always about a ruthless man (an unimaginably gorgeous pirate or invading barbarian) abducting a helpless girl (the most beautiful virgin on the planet), and how she eventually falls in love with him anyway. Sound familiar? Mind you, I don't personally believe Hades and Persephone's relationship was ever forced, but if you follow what happened after the initial myth you come to realise their story was the ultimate, the original bodice-ripper romance. It was too funny to pass up.  
**► CHAPTER TITLE.** I wanted a "sympathy for the devil" kind of play-on-words thing, so it became "Diabolic Simpatico", showing that Cupid wound up in league with Hades, after a fashion. Then I found a word in Greek that fit this perfectly, _"symponereuomai",_ which means "to join one in villainy". By the way, you can blame me for watching way too much Disney, because I include songs in later chapters... but blame Hades for the cheesy chapter titles.  
**► THE MOVIE.** The ending where Hades is knocked into the pit is based mostly on "_The Iliad"_ where Hercules wounds Hades with an arrow. In that story, Hades needed to go to Paian to be healed, but since _Paian_ is _Apollo_ (by most accounts), I doubted very seriously that either of them would want to see each other after the Olympian attack. So we'll just leave it at that.  
► **CUPID.** (Sigh) I'm sorry Disney, I simply DESPISED the way you mangled him, changing the fairly accurate depiction from myth – as seen in the background of the film – to the obese cherub seen in the TV series. Now this is merely my opinion, but just because it's a more popularly-known version, DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD. So I stuck with the original movie form with a little tweaking. Yes, I KNOW I'm using the Latin version of his name, but so did Disney.  
► **APHRODITE.** I really liked her personality from the TV series, so I kept that fairly intact. Taken mostly from Ovid is the plot to shoot Hades with an arrow, but for slightly different reasons than I present here. However, there are paintings found at Eleusis itself, attesting to direct involvement of Aphrodite and Eros in sanctioning the Divine Marriage of Hades and Persephone. As for Aphrodite's powers, I have always viewed her as more of a Sex and Beauty goddess, rather than simply Love. Yes, I know, most people say Eros fits that better (i.e. "erotic love"), but I think their histories speak for themselves. Aphrodite slept with practically anyone, having children by many of them, and her name lends itself to "aphrodisiac", a sexually stimulating substance. Eros, by almost all accounts, had only one lover whom he faithfully married. Sex was a part of love, but he always seemed more romantic than merely sexual. As well, the word "_eros_" means "_love_" and little more than that.  
► **DEMETER.** I kept her general Disney appearance. Myth maintains that she and Persephone were often seen as being so much alike that they were nearly duplicates, and I played on this idea to change the coloring for Persephone, their skin and hair just one removed on the color wheel. In fact, ancients called them _"The Two Who Are One"_. My opinions on Demeter are not so nice. As for Persephone's behavior in my story, think of this... she was a teenager, and teens tend to rebel.  
► **SEASONS**. I am using the seasons and celebrations as used by wiccans in temperate climates only. The Greeks have a Mediterranean climate, which is quite different. For them, spring-like weather begins in January or February, and summer weather is quite harsh. In their tradition, Persephone was with Hades only four months of each year, during the hot and desolate summertime when nothing would grow. Wintertime is much milder, there is rarely snow, and things can actually be planted and harvested at that time. I use the wiccan tradition only because it had long been the most familiar to me, not because it is most correct according to Greek tradition. My apologies.  
**► YOUTH AND AGE. _Age of Consent law is mine, not Disney's or mythology's. Please don't use (again)._** I've always figured that Hebe, Goddess of Youth, should also play a hand in Aging. She was part of the first generation born after the rebellion that stripped Kronos of power, and the gods of the generation before (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, et al.) seemed to be the only ones who aged completely to elder status. Those coming after (Athena, Apollo, Artemis, etc.) all seem to retain a sort of permanent youthfulness. Interestingly, it is maintained that there was no nectar or ambrosia in Kronos' day, and Hebe is the one who supplied it to the gods afterward. So it made sense to imagine she created nectar and ambrosia herself, that her natural powers of maintaining Youth would include the youthful immortality of the gods themselves. The generations raised on these foods would surely have a longer delay into full maturity, and so a new system of aging would be set into place. In Greek, "_hebe_" or "_heba_" generally means "youthful vigor and spirit". While "_helikia_" ("_elixia_", from whence comes "elixir") means "age, advance in years", yet it also means "youthful heat and passion" ("_helikie epitrepein_"). So it seems the concept of opposites like Youth and Age were connected, like Alpha and Omega, and I believe it to be Hebe who bridged the gap with her powers.  
**► PERSEPHONE'S APPEARANCE. _This version of Persephone is my creation, not Disney's. Do not use without permission._** I designed some of her looks on ancient writings as well as artwork. There are especially several statues I borrowed from, each in a pose that has been copied numerous times. She smiles sweetly, her hair is loose and very long and curling, her figure is slender and pretty but modestly covered. Each statue has parts knocked off through the centuries; the missing outstretched right hand is complete in only one statue I have seen, and in that one she holds a pomegranate. As for Disney's version of her, seen only briefly in three scenes in the background of the movie... Sorry Disney, but I consider her far too vapid looking. I couldn't for the life of me imagine a tough-as-nails-bad-to-the-bone Hades and such a powder-puff-cotton-candy goddess making a serious go of it. Both images play up modern misinterpretations of them: Hades as dark and evil, Persephone as weak and helpless. Persephone had two titles, "_Megala Thea_" ("the mighty goddess") and "_Brimo_" ("the strong") which would seem to refute the helpless image. As for Hades looking evil (according to Disney), I can forgive it because he did have a harsh side which Persephone eventually softened. As for the two of them having a happy marriage, there are pieces of artwork that show this to be a fact. Even the interpretations of the story which claim she was unwilling at first still maintain that she eventually became content with her life as a strong co-ruler of a kingdom, and defended herself against those who tried to force her to leave (i.e. Theseus and Peirithous). Disney's rendition seemed weak, and my goddess has a definite spine. Also, she needed to be MUCH more striking in appearance. According to Apuleius' _"Eros and Psyche",_ Aphrodite actually requested a box filled with Persephone's beauty to help restore her own. So she's a total babe, babe.  
**► APOLLO.** I kept the looks from TV and movie and decided to play up his actual mythical reputation with the ladies, which is not that nice, most times. He had almost as many paramours (and therefore illegitimate children) as Zeus, and several of the women he aimed for ran screaming, upon which he either caught and ravished, or missed and cursed them (Cassandra), or saw them transformed into something else (Daphne), or die/commit suicide/lose their marbles (Castalia). Can't for the life of me comprehend why he's so popular. His name "_Apollon_" is related to the word "_apollymi_" (also read as "_apollyn_" or "_apollyon_") which means "to destroy utterly, kill, slay, demolish". Seems rather appropriate.  
**► CLOTHING.** I decided to describe clothes in a little more detail than saying "everyone wears chitons" (as Disney did, for simplicity's sake). A _chiton_ is the generic term for the tunic worn next to the skin. It can be long or short and is a gender neutral item, though usually addressed toward men. The specifically female equivalent is the _chitonion_, draped to the ankles and pinned at the shoulders. The pin is called a _perone_, and is used on inner and outer garments alike. Any general robe that is fastened at the shoulder can be called a _peronetris_. There are some items considered "age-appropriate" (just as today we wouldn't see many elderly women in a mini-skirt, or many teenaged boys in plaid golfing pants). For instance, the _chlamys_ is a short cloak, pinned at one shoulder and worn by boys and younger men. It is often worn alone (yes, meaning they were naked underneath) or over a thigh-length _chitoniskos_. That garment is gender neutral, also being worn by young girls, but the corresponding short cloak for feminine wear is called a _chlanidion_. Older women and men wear the longer _chiton_ almost exclusively, and the long covering is called either a _peplos_ (feminine) or a _himation_ (usually masculine, but also considered neutral), both of which can be pinned or draped artfully. For women and men alike, the belts tied around the hips or waist are called _zonen_. For women only, the cord tied beneath the breasts, around the ribs, is the _strophion_. Fancy dress for men includes a long _termioeis_ _chiton_ with pattern and trim, belted with a _zonen_, and covered by a mantle called a _pharos_. I have yet to find a specific name for decorative formal female wear.

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** The English title is pretty silly. The Greek title "_asynethei hypoptes_" basically means "unusual suspects", a play on the gang-of-idiots concept.  
►**HECATE THE WITCH**. First of all, let me address anyone out there who protests my representation of Hecate. If anyone thinks to complain that I am slamming all witches as evil (remember the scandals following Disney's "Hocus Pocus"?), then let's keep in mind that I am a practicing pagan since the early 90's. I am only creating a character. And anyway, not all witches are good, any more than all Christians are charitable, honest and forgiving.  
►**HECATE THE VILLAINESS**. Second, a "villain" figure is necessary for a solid story. I borrowed the general idea of Hecate wanting to rule the Underworld from the TV series, though changing most of the details, such as the fact that Disney claimed Hecate and Hades had already met, and apparently far too often for either of their tastes (I do find it ironic that Disney had a second villain vying for control of the main villain's territory, implying that Hades wasn't _really_ the worst thing under the sun/earth). However, I frankly thought their design for Hecate's appearance was rather ugly. Disney's female villains (barring the Wicked Queen, Malificent and Queen Narissa) have been hideous. The actual Hecate's appearance is widely debated, but three descriptions or aspects are repeated frequently: an older hag-like woman, either beautiful or hideous; a monster of sorts, with either triple-face or animal-head, usually called a virgin goddess; or a younger woman, quite attractive. I chose the latter concept. The vase paintings showing her involvement in the abduction story represent her as young and attractive. In designing her, I kept a little of her appearance and attitude from the TV version and expanded on it. Her minions I changed completely, making them dogs instead of wolves since dogs were her token animals, and gave them some actual personality unlike the clone-drones from TV. _**Havoc and Mayhem are my creations, they are not Disney's. Do not use without permission.**_ (they are based on a friend's pair of ferrets, actually).  
►**HECATE THE MYTH.** In Homer's Hymn, she was an old friend of Demeter's who helped search for Persephone. Eventually she became Persephone's handmaiden and had a small temple at the Eleusis sanctuary, the _Hekation _(which was later replaced by a temple to Artemis). There don't seem to be any other stories connecting her with these goddesses yet she maintained a strong Underworld connection, appropriate to a dark-moon figure. Reading from ancient texts Hecate really _did_ have a bit of villainess potential and was not always seen as the nicest individual. Some research indicates Hecate was based on a quite ancient goddess, probably _Heket_, the Egyptian frog-headed goddess of birth.  
►**PAIN AND PANIC.** They are the funniest buddy pair-up in years. It is possible they are based on the myth of the mischievous gnome-like creatures called the "_Kerkops_", which is kind of a metaphor for "mischievous knaves", who attacked Hercules. They were of course beaten thoroughly, and eventually changed into monkeys. In the TV series, the imps are once seen morphing into monkeys and jumping on top of a sleeping Morpheus. As for demons in general, the Greek word "_daimonion_" ("demon, devil, inferior divine being") did not necessarily mean it was an evil one, while "_kakodaimon_" ("evil genius, possessed by demons") clearly does. Most interestingly, "_daimon_" in and of itself means "god, goddess, divine power", showing that they were probably somehow related. "_Daimones_" ("souls of men from the golden age") alone indicates yet another strong connection with the divine; so I suppose in a way we are all viewed as part of the same family. The phrase "_Di Manes_" refers to some unspecified evil or ghostly force that preyed on mankind. I imagine this is derived from the above words, a distorted versions of "_daimones_", perhaps as restless ghosts that refused to stay in the Underworld or to seek rebirth.  
►**DISNEY'S HADES VS. OTHER UNDERWORLD GODS.** This one always amazed me. Disney developers claim they were "suddenly inspired" one night by gazing upon a stove's blue gas flame. And maybe they were. But one cannot ignore the absolutely uncanny resemblance this Underworld king bears to another, known as _Yama Raja_ ("king of the dead"). In _"The Tibetan Book of the Dead"_ is a tapestry featuring the Hindu Underworld, where all around are souls being judged as either good or bad, whereupon they are sent to heaven or hell. In the center is a massively tall, angry-faced, dark-skinned, smoke-under-feet, flaming-haired god of the Underworld. Elsewhere, I located a gold statue of Yama Raja shown in his "animal" aspect with a beastly face, red flaming hair, horns and six arms, one of which holds a pomegranate. The statue includes his "_shakti_" (female balancing force) and she too holds a pomegranate in one hand. There is even a story of a human who bargained his way out of Yama's hell, reminiscent of Sisyphus. Yama Raja has a counterpart, _Yamantaka_ ("he who puts an end to Yama"), who also has a terrible face, horns, dark blue-black skin and flaming hair, and whose _shakti_ carries a pomegranate. Whether Disney developers were consciously aware of all this or not I cannot say, but I suppose it's possible they never saw the pictures or statues I mention. If not, then I am fully prepared to believe a "certain other power" influenced them into designing the character this way. Either way, I approve. As for Hades' appearance according to the Greeks, there isn't much to go on, as the Greeks rarely made his image for fear it would "call him". He was called stern and unsmiling most of the time, older and bearded like his brothers, large and powerfully built like all male Greek gods. Homer described him as being dark-haired, and little more. Some have declared he was quite attractive, and one statue of him in younger days attests to this. In Homer's description, as well as to this younger aspect of him, he was given the name _"Aides Kyanochaites_", which means "Hades of the flowing dark hair" (although, ironically, "_kyano_" alone actually means "blue"... go figure).  
► **HADES HURT BY HIS OWN POWERS**. This was an idea I developed from both the movie and the TV series. Near the end of the movie, Hades is being dragged down by the souls, calling out that he doesn't feel too good. So I determined that he must be getting hurt by the same power that tortures the souls. Since pain tends to cause changes in one's attitude, I felt this was a good starting point for his transformations. (At the very end of the movie, just after the credits, he's lamenting his loneliness. This also serves to prove he wasn't dead, just trapped.) In the TV show, Morpheus was put to sleep with his own sleep blanket, and Hades remarked that using a god's powers against him was a spell almost nothing could break. And indeed, it seems to work that way in myth, as it happened to Cupid as well, with Psyche.  
► **THE FATES.** For the _Moirai_, I kept the Disney appearance, though they were made to appear like the monstrous _Graeae_, sisters of the Gorgons, who had one eye and one tooth among them. People have complained about this, saying the Fates were supposed to be normal looking but differently aged women -one young, one mature, one elderly- playing on the tradition of Maid, Mother and Crone, which is from Norse and Celtic mythology. Greek myth described them simply as _three old women _– born as triplets, all the same age and prematurely old like their brother _Geras_ ("age"). Regardless of looks, I couldn't change them since they had too much interaction in the movie (whereas Persephone and Cupid fortunately did not). Another point that is often argued against Disney's version, is that they supposedly are not properly representing Past, Present and Future, that Clotho and Lachesis are switched. Not so. Greek mythology never actually refers to them by when, but rather by _what they do_, though it is implied. Lachesis (from "_lache_" meaning "allotment") is the Past, since she decides who gets what destiny from the very beginning, and Clotho (from "_kloso_" meaning "to twist by spinning") is the Present, since she weaves the tapestry of the here-and-now. There are very few stories of the Fates but there is one reference to Atropos (from "_atrepo_" meaning "unchangeable") which mentions she is the shortest in height of the three. And Disney caught this detail perfectly. My idea that Hades was responsible for his own previous defeat was too delicious to pass up. I personally feel that the Fates don't just tamper with people's lives, they try to teach them a better path to take. And they are amazingly powerful, when you think about it. They control the fates of not just mortals but the gods as well. They were most often considered to be the children of Nyx and Erebos, and therefore grandchildren of Chaos itself, two generations older than the Olympians. This would most likely make them untouchable even by the gods themselves. (Strangely, Hesiod claims in his "_Theogony_", they were children of Nyx and Erebos, then later _in the same poem_ claims they were Zeus' daughters by Themis.)

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**CHAPTER 3**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** In English, it is of course a terrible pun. Now as a public service, here's where the phrase "sticks and stones" originated… The Greek word "_styphokopos_" means "striking with a stick". This was taken from "_ortygokopos_" which was a game played by rather cruel people. Gather a bunch of birds into a circle and pelt them with sticks until one flies out, then beat it with a rock. Sticks and stones, indeed. And although Styx seems to be tormenting Hades in this chapter, it's really for his own good.  
**► THE JUDGES. _Their appearances are my creation, not Disney's._** _Aiakos_ and _Rhadamanthys_ are two out of three judges of the Underworld. _Minos_, the third, is mentioned in the story a bit later on. Their names, like so many characters in Greek mythology, suit them exactly and seem to indicate they were destined for their jobs. Aiakos comes from the words "_aiai_" ("wailing, miserable") and "_akos_" ("cure, relief, remedy"), essentially meaning "relief from misery". Rhadamanthys comes from the words "_rhadios_" ("easy, ready") and "_manthano_" ("to learn, to understand"), basically meaning "readily understood". The third judge, who does not appear in this story, is Minos, whose name is mistakenly assumed to come from "_menos_" ("month") being associated with "_mene_" ("moon") but this is incorrect. The name was originally spelled _Mino'os_, which derives from the words "_min_" ("himself, oneself") and "_no'os_" ("perception" and/or "purpose"), essentially meaning "to know oneself". Some researchers claim there were two men named Minos. The Minotaur-obsessed king is often viewed as being the grandson of the Underworld judge. Considering the younger Minos was a lunatic, he could hardly have made a fair judge, so I prefer the version of events where they are different people of two different generations. The Disney TV version of Minos is not precisely the way I picture either one of them. The real irony of the judges is that all of them were sons of Zeus (Aiakos by Aigina, Rhadamanthys and Minos by Europa) and therefore nephews of their afterlife boss. However, since the story is complicated enough, I have chosen to ignore this detail for now.  
**► STYX.** I kept her almost exactly as the TV series portrayed her, since myth often referred to her as being the _river_, rather than simply the former-nymph goddess of it. Her name means "hateful", not exactly the sweetest little nymph under earth, and so it seemed right to have her plotting against Hades in a fashion, though her motives are kinder than they appear on the surface. It seemed odd to me, in the movie and TV series, to have souls floating in her river. Myth describes it only as a river to be crossed, that it was not part of the Underworld proper but rather the border outside. So I reasoned if souls were being placed in Styx then she must have deviated from her true purpose, and thus it makes an interesting rationale for her behavior in my story. (As a side note, in Ovid's version of the abduction, the River Acheron had a nymph associated with it as a wife to the river itself, whose son was later an antagonist in the tale. There is one story of a Titan named Acheron, who misbehaved and was sent to the Underworld and became the river. But nothing more is told of him, so I have disregarded this river and focused on Styx.)  
**► THE GRIFFIN.** And yes, it IS a griffin. I shall explain shortly. In myth, Hades had anywhere from two to four black horses pulling his chariot (ironically, sometimes described as flaming). I suppose Disney found it easier to draw only one steed, of sorts. It may, at a cursory glance, look more like a Welsh dragon, but it certainly isn't – first, this is _Greece_; second, the front legs are eagle-shaped and the rear are lion-like, making it not a dragon at all. While horses are seen as symbolic of many things, the most prominent of which is sexual energy (appropriate to Hades), griffins are most often viewed as _guardians_, usually of a valuable treasure (appropriate to his role as _Plouton_). They are even sometimes called symbols of the seasons (appropriate for Persephone). Even if the creature _was_ a dragon, they too are seen as guardians of treasures and captive females (again, a Hades thing) and perhaps in a way is related to the Orphic concept of the dragon/snake that "Zeus" transformed into to beget a child upon Persephone (yes, I'm grinning as I write this). Since the word "_drakon_" means both snake and dragon, it's a small wonder that the two are often mistaken. One may still wonder, why did Hades' griffin appear somewhat _dragon-like, with bat wings_? In Greek, the word "_grypaetos_" (or "_gryps_") can mean both "griffin" and "dragon". So they were probably seen as being related animals.

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** The English title is just a pun, "trouble in paradise" combined with a certain movie title. The Greek title is even worse, _"__otan kosmoi sygkrouomai_", which basically means "when worlds collide". So shoot me now.  
► **THE LOCATION OF NYSA**. I felt it appropriate to place the home of Demeter and Persephone according to proper symbolism. Ancient Greeks believed that the West was the realm of the dead since the life-giving sun went down, or died, in that direction. If you check a decent map of Greece, a few interesting things are found. On the western shore, there are cliffs with underwater caves near a town called Amoudia. Nearby is a river that flows out to the Ionian Sea is called _Acheron_, which is of course also a name of an Underworld river. Near this river are the remains of a temple to Hades and Persephone, the _Nekromantion_ ("oracle of the dead"). Interestingly, the Ionian islands are more lush and green, whereas the Aegean islands off the eastern shore are far more rocky and sandy. The name of the Ionian sea in Greek is "_Ianes_", coming from the word "_Iaomai_" ("to heal, cure"), which is a trait appropriate to Persephone. Nysa is the mythical place where she (and later Dionysos) grew up, and was generally referred to as the place from which she was abducted. Sometimes it is called a plain or a mountain, but I think an island makes her more isolated, and the Demeter of my story is wildly over-protective. The word "_nesos_" ("island") is similar to the name Nysa, seeming to hint at a connection. Also, since almost all the nymphs she played with were Oceanids, its appropriate to have them on an island. (According to Ovid, it was different place entirely called Enna/Henna somewhere near Mt. Olympus, but this is a long way from large bodies of water, even though he too says all her playmates were ocean nymphs.)  
**► THE DARK GROVE.** For those who know about plants viewed as sacred to the Underworld, you will recognize many of them in Persephone's grove. (I'll try to put together the list of specifics and post those.)  
**► FAMILY TIES**. I tried to do as Disney did and ignore (for the most part) the issue of incest. According to myth, Hades and Persephone were quite closely related, being uncle and niece twice over. And while little things like incest never stopped the gods (nor did age, gender, species, or just about anything else you can think of) the topic of incest can be very difficult for humans to deal with, unless you're into that sort of fanfic. But this is Greek mythology, so it's just part and parcel. Even though they are gods and therefore human morality and genetics play little if any part in such match-ups, I chose to keep up the barest semblance of Disney-ethics and have the brothers and sisters related in a slightly different manner (explained fully in a later chapter).  
**► APOLLO'S INTEREST.** Firstly, it makes for an interesting plot device. Secondly, there are some sources that claim several gods tried unsuccessfully to court Persephone, until Hades begged for and received permission to take her for himself. I actually did locate a single Orphic source naming Apollo as one of the suitors. When I realized how often Apollo is confused with the _actual _sun god Helios, who cast rays of sunlight into the Underworld and located Persephone for Demeter's sake, it was a simple matter to combine the two ideas. Plus it gave Persephone further reason to chafe under her mother's thumb if Demeter, often seen as a friend to Apollo, tried to hook them up as a couple. The most astonishing thing is from a fragment of the Orphic hymns: _(Demeter speaking to Kore)"But going up to the fruitful bed of Apollo, thou shalt bear splendid children, with countenances of flaming fire"._ Not only did this mention Apollo as a potential mate but it has Demeter matchmaking (and the Hades-like appearance of future children is too funny). Further, it makes for a clear path of rivalry between the two gods, which also fits well with myth and ancient plays. Euripides' play "_Alkestis_" has Apollo reviling Hades (as Thanatos) saying he is _"hateful to mankind and loathed by the gods"_, and another time he calls Hades _"bloody"_ because of a personal grudge he holds.  
**► RHODOPE**. _**She is my creation, not Disney's.**_ Her name probably means "rosy attendant", and she was one of the several nymphs Homer lists as playmates of Persephone. There is a story of her later on, becoming mother of a son by Apollo. After this child was grown she married a human king, and they later got into a bit of trouble with Zeus and Hera. Since I couldn't find a way to comfortably insert all twenty-one of the nymphs Homer mentions, I chose one with the best story to combine with my own.

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** The Greek phrase "_synapto linon lino_" means "to compare two similar things" but its literal translation is "to join thread to thread". Considering the Fates' actions behind it all, this was too perfect.  
► **THE ATTRACTION FACTOR. **This was very important. First, I love the concept of "star-crossed lovers, joined by fate". It's very romantic and passionate and dangerous, which fits into my (biased) view of Hades. Second, in most versions of the myth, only a few heard Persephone scream as she was taken away, Hecate being one of them. But it still begs the question... _why did Hecate wait nine whole days to bring the news to Demeter?_ Third, myth says Hades was either already in love with Persephone or struck by an arrow to make his love grow stronger. Although I'm sure his social skills were a bit lacking after being alone for so long, there really was no need for him to be a brute toward her. And fourth, I desperately wanted something more than the standard fictional crap I've read lately (the "she-looked-good-so-I-grabbed-her-and-took-her-home" routine... makes it sound like an impulse purchase at the supermarket, y'know?). I wanted it mutual which, again, study of the myths shows to be the case. I really just wanted to capture the feeling of "soul mates".  
► **PERSEPHONE ON OLYMPUS AND NYSA**. Many versions of the story show Demeter to be a concerned but over-protective mother, needing to know every detail of her daughter's daily life. So I chose to write as if Persephone never ventured away from Nysa without Demeter present, and that perhaps the only times she'd even visited Olympus were the two (and a half) instances in which she appeared in the movie. Very sheltered indeed.  
► **ABDUCTION VS. RAPE, AND THE "STOLEN BRIDE MARRIAGE"**. This is a massive, heated point of contention for me. Ancient authors referred to it as an abduction which I can more or less handle. Modern authors call it simply a rape, which I will never accept. The ritual of "stolen bride marriage" (_klespigamia_) was quite ancient, and was the forerunner of carrying a bride over the threshold among other things. In the original ceremony, a groom storms up to the bride's home and mock-argues with her father, then grabs the bride, places her in his chariot and rides away with bells and other things dragging from the back of the cart (like tying tin cans and shoes to the bumper of the car today). Some researchers say the "stolen bride marriage" was also a way to save on dowry money (hah). But the details of _klepsigamia_ are too similar to the Hades/Persephone myth to ignore. There are at least two vase painting depicting Persephone being handed up into the chariot as Hades prepares to ride away. Not an abduction.  
► **WITNESSES AND OTHER HINDRANCES**. In Homer's version, Athena, Artemis and many nymphs were present at the scene but _none of them_ saw, heard, or intended to step between Hades and his bride. Another sort-of witness was Hecate and even she didn't actually _see_ it, just overheard Persephone's initial protests. Also there was Helios' involvement, some versions claiming that he saw the abduction, others saying that he merely located Persephone with sunbeams. The Orphic version claims the only witness was _Euboulos_ (the probable duplicate of Hades) who later leads Demeter into the Underworld to see her daughter. Though I dislike Ovid's version, I will give in and detail here some of the people involved. Of course there are two who caused the abduction, Venus and Cupid, for rather petty reasons. There was also a nymph named _Kyane_ ("blue") who stood in front of Hades and tried to prevent the abduction whereupon he struck her with his pitchfork and turned her into a fountain. (_Personal note_: Ovid annoyingly waxed on about the entire history of various unimportant characters within the confines of other people's stories, and totally out of context. Such as _Arethusa_ – based on the names of several springs throughout Sicily and Syracuse. He also utterly omits crucial characters such as Hecate, and makes up characters that serve no purpose. Like _Ascalaphus_ – whose name is probably a corruption of _Ascalabus – _a character created by yet another Latin author; he mocked Demeter during her wanderings. And the character's mother, the nymph _Orphne_, who was also never written of by anyone else, and whose name merely means "darkness". I don't like Ovid.)

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

► **CHAPTER TITLE. **I intended a play on the Latin phrase _"facilis descensus averni_" meaning "the road to hell is easy", implying that for Hades it was just the opposite. Then I stumbled upon a phrase in Greek that is even more fitting. While searching for a suitable word for "pothole", I found the word "_trype_" ("_trypao_") meaning "a hole, to pierce through", and under this heading was a mention of something called "_psephos tetrypemene_" which was defined as "the pebble of condemnation which has a hole in it". This is based upon systems of voting where pebbles are drawn from a bag – drawing lots, as the brothers did to divide their kingdoms. Under the heading of "_psephos_" ("pebble") was a mention of one system using a pebble with hole in it, and if this were drawn it was called "_psephos katagnyseus_" ("condemned") or "_psephos periphyges_" ("banished"). Some sources say lots in general were chosen by beans instead of pebbles, but even then the winner was selected by the solitary white bean in the pot. Just like the short straw. Isn't the winner often really the loser in these situations?  
►**HADES' CHILDHOOD**. Always the most lonely figure in Greek myth, I sympathize deeply with him. I have done a fair amount of research on him from a psychological point of view. But it's so damned long, I won't detail it here.  
►**KRONOS**. In myth, depending on which version of the story you read, he was either imprisoned in _Tartarus_ (Greek versions) or banished to Italy where he became the favored god _Saturn_ (Roman versions) who strangely enough was seen as an agricultural diety. I chose an idea just a bit more radical in the banishment/imprisonment category for my story, and had him dispersed into the stars just as the Titans were at the end of the movie. There is one very brief view of his face in the TV series, on a vase, during a song by Pain and Panic. In designing his appearance, I kept close to that. Now here's a tidbit of information that most people don't realize – The name _Kronos_ (Κρονος) is not the same as _Chronos_ (Χρονος) which means "time, season, period", but this is probably the reason he became associated with a scythe-wielding seasonal god in Rome. The name "Kronos" is sometimes spelled "Cronus", but that's simply Anglicized. "Kronos" comes from the root word "_kraino_" which appropriately means "to accomplish, fulfill, to exercise sway over, to reign above, to govern", meaning nothing more than he was born to rule Olympus, at least for a while. The Orphics viewed _Chronos_ as a kind of abstract form that mated with _Chaos_ causing order to come about, thus creating _Nyx_, _Erebos_, _Gaia_ and _Eros_ (again, not the younger version –i.e. Cupid- but an abstract ideal). They make the distinction between _Chronos_ and _Kronos_ quite clear. Too many people make this sort of mistake with names, assuming that everyone with the same (or similar) title is the same person, or alternately that each title represents a completely separate individual. Same thing happened between Hades and Zeus.  
►**SIBLINGS**. In the TV show, it is stated that Hades is the youngest brother. Yet most authors, both ancient and modern, agree he was the first-born son. However, many also say he was the last brother released from Kronos' stomach, and therefore considered the youngest by default (an odd concept). Homer called Zeus the oldest, as it was often felt the eldest son would be the only one fit to inherit such a grand kingdom as Olympus. Frankly, having Hades be oldest makes perfect sense, as he would be especially irritated at the fact he didn't get Olympus for himself. But even if seen as the youngest, he still had reason to gripe since he got the worst end of a raw deal, the dark, gloomy, lonely kingdom of death. I don't blame him for his attitude, as per Disney.  
►**ELYSIAN FIELDS / ELEUSIS.** I borrowed the idea that Hades cannot enter the Elysian Fields from the TV series, though in the show it is Zeus who controls it (which is impossible since Hades is the king and that would be _seriously_ stepping on his toes). It makes for an interesting paradox, though. If bad souls were supposed to be punished, as myths regarding the Underworld indicate, then what about the heroes? If someone gets into the Elysian Fields just on the reputation of being a "hero", and they're a complete asshole... then what? Do they deserve to be removed? And if so, how angry will it make Hades, if he can't get to them? I'm sure you can imagine. In a later chapter, I have Persephone declare that anyone could be happy in the Underworld, but they don't expect it so they don't bothering to seek it. This is very similar to what was declared to initiates at Eleusis. I find it very interesting that "Elysian" and "Eleusis" are pretty much the same word, both derived from the root word "_eleusomai_", meaning "to arrive, approach". Interesting too is the mythical person _Eleusis_ who supposedly aided in developing the Mysteries, said to be born of a nymph named _Daeira_, a child of Oceanus, and therefore sister to Styx. Another name for the Elysian Fields is "_Makaron Nesoi_" ("Islands of the Blest"), supposedly found at the western corner of the world, again playing on the idea that the west is the direction of death. The fact that it is referred to as an island also is something that I used in my story. As well, some modern authors have declared a daughter for Hades and Persephone – _Makaria_ – but it's not found in ancient writings; the name means "happiness, bliss" and is based on the name for the Elysian Fields, as seen above.

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

► **CHAPTER TITLE. **I started by looking up the word "view", and found "_opsieus_" which can mean anything from "view, sight, appearance" to "apparition". I went on to find the phrase "_opsinos_" or "late-observing", and from there to several other phrases with "opsi", all in the context of lateness. I hit upon the phrase "_opsimathano_" which means "late in learning, vain of late-gotten learning" (or more appropriately, "teaching an old dog new tricks"), and decided this suited Hades quite well in his travails.  
► **NYX AND EREBOS (AND THANATOS)**._** Nyx and Erebos are mine, not Disney's. Don't use without permission. **_The description of Nyx, her cloak full of stars, is taken directly from ancient texts. Interestingly, the word "_erebos_" is sometimes used as another name for the Underworld (rather like Hades' name) but it is specifically defined as "a place of nether darkness above the Underworld", so it was perhaps more of a separate area, not entirely a part of Hades' domain. I realise most myths say there was a totally different entity called _Thanatos_ ("death") who was the son of Nyx and Erebos and the twin brother of _Hypnos_ ("sleep"). But there is very little else to be found about him. There is the story of Sisyphus holding him prisoner and most authors interpret that to be Hades rather than Thanatos. Euripides' play "_Alkestis_" states fairly clearly that Thanatos and Hades are considered one and the same, and gives an interesting description of him as dark-cloaked and winged (Disney's Hades does fly). Since Hades actually has a title that refers to him as "god of death and darkness" ("_Hesperos Theos_") and since even ancient authors make it clear that they don't especially distinguish between the two, I prefer to think of "Thanatos" as being yet another of his titles, and that Nyx and Erebos were quite fond of him in a parental way, using this as a nickname. Nyx was also reputed by Orphic tradition to be the one who coached Zeus to defeat Kronos, so it seems she was fond of her great-nephews in general.  
**► THE AGE FACTOR**. This was a tough one for me to decide. According to myth, there was a definite gap between Hades and Persephone, he being one of the oldest gods and she one of the youngest. I worked it up for my story like so... Assume that from _birth to the 14th birthday_ a god's life corresponds directly to mortal years, _a_ _1:1 ratio_, as they were known to be quite precocious and by then should be considered adult with most of their powers developed. The next seven years, from _age 15 to the 21st birthday_, would be _a 1:7 ratio_ to give them time to hone their powers and styles. Then I slowed everything down to allow a longer trek through _maturity and into elder years,_ ever onward, at a _1:70 ratio._ Probably, they would stop truly aging to any great degree after reaching something like 54. I wanted to keep the elder gods (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, etc.) about as old as written history, maybe slightly younger to allow time for the generations before them (Rhea, Kronos, etc.). Most of the well-known myths, by the _Greek_ authors, were written between 1000 and 700 B.C.E., give or take. However, if you look closely at all the artwork showing the gods born to the _next generation_ (Apollo, Artemis, Athena, etc.) they don't ever seem to have reached elder status, yet were obviously quite old. Therefore I deduced that Hebe was responsible for this, that her powers should include not just _youth_ but the _prevention of aging_. According to myth, nectar and ambrosia did not yet exist in Kronos' time, so all gods born later and raised on them would likely experience less aging. So... does having Persephone at age 15 and Hades at age 50, make him a pervert? Not really. First of all, these were ancient times, so age wasn't quite as big an issue. Though I doubt in reality there was any hesitation on Hades' part, I truly enjoyed using this story to give him some very poetic angst regarding their ages. Now... if anyone wonders why I used the number 7 so much in my calculations, think about it: _God-years... dog-years_. Get it? (Don't hurt me!)  
►**UNDERWORLD RIVERS**. Other than Styx and Lethe, which are clearly represented in the TV series, I am merely postulating which ones are which, while still keeping to the Disney concepts. In the movie, it seemed souls in the Vortex were suffering, and indeed it hurt Hades too. So I deemed it to be _Pyriphlegethon_ ("blazing pyre") the River of Fire. In myth, _Acheron_ ("woe, distress, grief") leads toward the palace, so the river Charon rowed up in the movie seemed the best choice for the River of Sorrow. _Mnemosyne_ ("memory") was shown once in the TV series in the form of a Pool of Memories, so I borrowed the concept. _Kokytus_ ("shrieking") the River of Wailing for the Dead, was a bit more difficult since there was only one other source of something watery shown in the movie. But considering the extremely dangerous quality of the water, as according to Disney, it was the perfect candidate for this river_. (Also, even though I have doubts about the actual existence of Mintha, this led to a very interesting concept for her, since she was called the nymph of Kokytus... but you'll just have to wait for that tale. However, if you pay close attention, you'll get the slightest hint about her in this story.)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** I meant to imply that Hades was somewhat over-reaching himself all along, as well as being hurt at many angles. Playing on the "getting burnt" concept, I found the Greek phrase "_phlog aithera laktizoisa_" which means "flames lashing heaven". I'm not sure what it referred to originally, but I found it under the heading of "_laktizo_" ("kick at with the heel, to spurn"). So it seems to be involving things that are trampled and abused.

► **SYMBOL OF OFFICE. _The word "DIKRAON", as used for Hades' symbol of office, is entirely my own and is not found in any book of mythology. If anyone wants to use this word in another story as the name for Hades' fork, please ask me first. _**_**I am amenable to it being used, I just don't want to be flatly plagiarized yet again.** _

Mythologically, the few portraits of Hades sometimes feature him with the token of his office of Death, a two-pronged fork. In the TV series, Hades is only once shown with a pitchfork, incorrectly three-pronged, upon which he roasts Pain and Panic in marshmallow form. Two prongs would have worked perfectly for two word's roots ("_dis_" meaning "doubled", and interestingly a name for the Underworld… and "_karanos_" meaning "chief" which is related to "_kraino_" harkening back to "_Kronos_") make it ideal as a title for his staff of office.

► **PUZZLING ASPECTS OF DISNEY'S HADES**. In the movie, I noticed a couple things that seemed to have much more going on behind the scenes than anyone ever said or showed. For instance, the fact that Hades, _unlike every single other god_, never had a glow about him, not even when he manifested his powers. Plus, _how did he know_ the use for the water with which he turned Hercules mortal? A connecting thread was all I needed to sew up these two ideas. Makes it possible for him to be the tragic anti-hero figure, as well. Though of course (sigh) Disney never redeems a bad guy (unless you want to count Iago the parrot, who is only a minion). The standard is "once a villain, always a villain", so there's no chance they'd ever do a sequel to change the way Hades is seen. Just as well, since it's my pleasure to present him in a new light.  
►**HADES' LADIES**. Regardless of some popular current opinions, myth clearly maintains that Hades had little actual experience with women.

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** To represent the cycle of the year which Persephone embodies, and the fact that life and death feel separated although they never are, I chose to combine the degrees of the full circle with a concept from a modern movie. (Hell, I'm seriously thinking of creating a game called the "Six Degrees of Hercules", because he knew everyone. Either him, or Zeus. Boy, did they get around!) The Greek title is simply "_kyklos e zoe_", a take on yet another Disney movie and appropriate to Persephone's speech on "the circle of life".  
►**PERSEPHONE'S NICKNAME**. As for the nickname for her, "Seph", this was never given as an actual title for her. Others have used the nickname in other fanfics, it's not original.

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** In a tribute to a favorite British author is the English version. The Greek title "___panta kai periss_" means essentially "all and more" like everything and the kitchen sink, all that and a bag of chips, etc. Meant to represent the tons of stuff that they try to change in this chapter.  
►**THE FURIES. _This version of the Furies is mine, not Disney's. Don't use without permission. _**In the TV series, they were merely birdy-lizardy creatures. I returned them to the general appearance from myth, being mostly human but monstrous. Of course I added my own twists. I call them demons created by Hades, although myth calls them divinities and most often the children of Gaia, sprung from the earth after Ouranos' blood was spilled. Others have called them daughters of Nyx alone, and oddly even Nyx and Kronos. The most interesting version is that they were daughters of Hades and Persephone. They were common companions to Eris, Nemesis, Dike, the Harpies and various demons. Sometimes they were referred to as personifications of Demeter's vengeance (though against whom, I'm not sure). Furies is the Roman name for the Greek "_Erinyes_" ("fury, rage"). They were often called "_Eumenides_" ("kindly ones") in an attempt to keep them in a good mood, and is the same method of "not speaking their names aloud" as was used toward Hades. Strangely, honey and the narcissus flower were consider sacred to them, just as for Persephone. The most fascinating thing about them is the fact that they were usually invoked to avenge death along a matriarchal line; that is, to destroy the killers of women. If Hades used them in this manner, it says to me that respected women and is yet another argument that he was not a brute.  
►**ELYSIAN FIELDS / ELEUSIS**. In many traditions, the Elysian Fields were mostly Persephone's area of rule, where good souls awaited rebirth, whereupon they drank from Lethe to forget before she sent them away.  
►**DATING**. Sure, I gave Hades a very flustered attitude toward the concept, but I wasn't the first. In the TV series, when he had a thing for Aphrodite, he couldn't even complete a sentence without tripping over his own tongue. Can't imagine him otherwise now, until after he's already developed a relationship with the woman in question. Besides, it's cute.  
►**FOOD**. In the TV show, Hades had a nice little barbecue for the other gods, of course as an evil plot, so he knows how to cook. As far as the creepy-crawlies he ate in the movie, I give my explanation for that. An added note: James Woods is, so I've read, a pretty good cook as well. And we all know how closely Disney's Hades seems to be modeled on him.  
►**MORPHING**. Sadly, this was the only place in my story I could fit in a morphing sequence for Pain and Panic.  
►**SINGING**. Although James Woods sang once in the TV series, it didn't sound like "professional material". It sounded like a cheesy lounge act, which truly suited the style of Hades in that episode. Anyway, I think Hades would be able to sing beautifully. He's a GOD after all. And that's my two drachmas worth.

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

► **CHAPTER TITLE**. The Greek title "___apagoreno karpos pathos_" means "forbidden passion fruit". (Plus, it is a veiled reference to a line from my favorite British Sci-Fi comedy show. You figure it out.)  
►**HERCULES**. I make mention of his high school years, though I realize the movie implies Hades and he knew nothing of each other's existence before Hercules was 18 and had met Megara. I can work around this detail if Disney can. Not everything from the TV series is going to fit into the continuity of my version of this story, but some things were just too good to throw out. (Like Icarus and Cassandra, who will play roles in later stories.)  
►**CHARON**. I used the TV version of his looks and personality, since the movie all but ignored him. There are few myths involving him but those that do mention him make it clear he was over-worked and underpaid or maybe just greedy for gold, so the crusty seaman attitude suits him. His name means "fierce-eyed", but Disney removed his eyes altogether. However, he is still pretty grim and imposing, and I liked playing on the fact he could express himself facially without needing eyes. Also, one source writes that he was originally a dog demon and Hades transformed him for the task he currently has. (Wonder if he's related to Cerberus?)  
►**INTIMACY**. I'm gonna bang my personal drum on this one more time. Though the myth has been called "The Rape of Persephone" in modern times, this is a gross mistranslation. Give Hades a break. That's all I'm gonna say now.

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** In English, it is meant to express Hades' trouble in dealing with loss, and pushing aside things that would help him regain what is lost. Sort of a before-and-after situation. Therefore the Greek title "_promelete deutereskepsi_", meaning "forethought and afterthought" is suitable. It betokens the concepts of what mankind gains and loses throughout life.  
► **LEUKE**._** She is mine, not Disney's. Don't use without permission.**_ Leuke is a nymph whom many writers claim as his first wife though I have not yet clearly discovered precisely _when_ she was involved with him. There was one version where Persephone destroys her, but that is probably confusing itself with the Mintha tale. Nevertheless, I suspect she came _after_ Persephone and is therefore not properly canon. But I like her, so I'm using her. In my story, making Hades unable to get over his first love and the tragedy that ended it seemed like the best way to explain some of his personality problems. Leuke's heritage is also a bit confused. In Greek, "_Leuke_" means literally "white poplar" therefore it seems rather sensible to think of her as a tree nymph, born of that type of tree, and some authors name her as such. Oddly, some authors call her an Oceanid, possibly giving her some twisted connection to the playmates of Persephone. One I found even called her the daughter of Poseidon and thus adding a perversity, making it seem that Hades really liked "keeping it in the family" (hah). The word "_leuke_" comes from "_leukos_" which means "light, bright, brilliance" as in sunlight, or "white, pale, fair". The fact that she is associated with such meanings may indicate her similarity to the common view of Persephone's name (from "_phereauges_" meaning "light bringer"… which isn't what her name means anyway, but that's a looong discussion). If so, then Hades essentially married the same sort of woman twice. This shows that he needed and desired someone to brighten his darkness, and undoubtedly loved them both greatly.  
►**NYMPHS IN GENERAL.** It's been established by ancient authors that nymphs are bound intrinsically to whatever place in nature they arose from, and that instinctively they crave that spot and return to it often. Homer's _Hymn to Aphrodite_ spells this fact out pretty clearly.

* * *

**CHAPTER 13**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** The Greek title is a little complicated. "_Pneuma_" means breath, "_therapeia_" means "service done to the sick", so together they are like the breath of life, perhaps even CPR. However there is a phrase "_therapeia theon"_ which is "service done to the gods, divine worship", which combined with the former idea makes even more sense. I wished to show how much they are willing to do for each other, which is anything and everything.  
► **LAMIAE**. These demons were mentioned throughout Grecian history. They were shape-changers like Pain and Panic, though their shapes were usually beautiful and seductive. These were most likely the basis for the myth of the succubi, and probably the incubi as well, since it would stand to reason they could transform their gender along with everything else. Several names are given for these demons, though _lamia(e)_ is the most common. Interestingly, I found mention of one individual demoness some authors describe as the child of Zeus and Persephone, this being a female named _Melinoe_, whose name was occasionally given as _Chthonia_. For a time, I thought this was yet another case of mistaken identities, that it referred to "Zeus _Katachthonia_" and Persephone's "_Meli_-" based titles in some way. Then I found the answer in a book on the Orphic movement. This demoness is indeed mistaken for someone else, and that is Hecate. She too shares the title of "_Chthonia_" with Persephone and others. The name "_Melinoe_" is vaguely related to the "honey" titles of Persephone, in the form of Hecate as her handmaiden and confidante. But it is not her child.  
► **LETHE**. From the word "_lesmosyne_" ("oblivion"). There are stories claiming it was drunk by souls entering the Underworld in order to forget their previous lives. However, just as many stories say it was drunk before returning to life, to forget the Underworld. I prefer the latter, since many concepts of reincarnation maintain that we mostly forget our past lives while living the current one, and upon death we recall everything. Since the Underworld judges you, placing you in the best area to acknowledge your past and work through karma, I believe it's more appropriate that Lethe be drunk only before re-birthing.  
► **THE UNDERWORLD**. Looking at ancient vase paintings, the Underworld was seen as generally not so hideously unpleasant. One features Hades and Persephone on their thrones, holding court, seated under a canopy on a dais. Except for Sisyphus and the Danaides, nobody seems particularly unhappy. Unfortunately later representations (usually post-pagan) show the Underworld and its rulers as unpitying, snarling and evil. The Greeks knew Hades was a bit colder and sterner in his ways, giving him such titles as "_Adamastos_" ("inflexible") but Persephone was known to be kind and the title "_Soteira_" ("savior") bears this out. So I wanted to present in my story the way it must have been seen in the ancient world, the way Eleusis declared it to be. Not a place to be escaped, because death cannot be escaped, but neither should it be a place to dread and fear. Merely a way-station before the next step onward.  
► **THE HEALING**. This was, I felt, an absolutely necessary thing for Hades. Restoring his aura was an idea I developed totally on my own, but upon looking closely at the Disney movie I find that I can also easily draw it from something they presented. During the Fate's prediction to Hades, you see his image huge and hovering over the city and again when Hercules bears down on him_. Only in these scenes_ does Hades have an aura like a normal god, nowhere else in either the movie or the TV series does this occur. I therefore propose that the Fates were predicting it _would_ be restored due to circumstances arising _after_ Hades' defeat. As for myth itself, looking only upon the surface of popular conceptions, one can see Hades as the ruthless abductor of a young frightened girl; but even at face value, especially in Homer's version, one cannot ignore the fact that when Persephone is released he is _clearly_ hopelessly in love with her. He has been _changed_ by it, has become kinder and gentler, the _Ploutos_ aspect. Therefore, she did heal him from his old ways, merely through her presence in the Underworld.

* * *

**CHAPTER 14**

► **CHAPTER TITLE**. In Greek, it's pretty simple. "_Megalos_" is "big", "_lipos_" is "fat", and "_pseudokeryx_" is "liar" (or more specifically "false herald"). So hurt me now.  
► **THE ABDUCTION**. Of course Hecate's depiction in my story is not the way it was described in myth, nor is it the way I personally view it. All those misinterpretations which today call it a rape certainly explain Demeter's panic and grief. If her daughter had been dragged away and ravished, then she would truly fear for Persephone's safety. It's one interpretation, anyway. Orphic tradition merely claims that she was "stolen away" and that Demeter grieved in the company of mortals until she was returned. In examining _Homer's_ version, we see that Hecate brought the news of Persephone's abduction to Demeter on the ninth day (_why wait so long?)_ after supposedly hearing the girl cry out as she was being taken, though claiming not to know where to or by whom.  
► **NINE DAYS.** This was the most significant time period discussed in Homer's version, being the number of days before Demeter knew where her daughter had gone. I realize that Demeter spent _much longer_ wandering the earth, for probably nearly a year's time total before Persephone was returned, symbolic of the yearly seasonal cycle. She encountered many people along the road during this extensive period. But I didn't wish to try and write a full year's story for the Disney version, so I just used the nine days and pushed the seasonal change to make it more dramatic and frightening. In addition, the Mysteries of Eleusis started with a nine day fast for all initiates, after which the _kykeon_ was drunk and everyone walked from Athens to Eleusis, all in imitation of Demeter's experiences. According to ancient Greek teachings, Persephone then spends nine months above ground with her mother and three below with her husband. Nine is also a significant mystical number, being used repeatedly throughout myth. Nine Muses, nine loops of the River Styx. There is the pagan tradition in other cultures of the Ninefold Goddess, or three sets of the Threefold Goddess (three also being a very important mystical number). As well, it can represent the nine months of gestation that a fetus goes through before birth/rebirth. So I chose to keep the length of the story to a mere nine days for all these reasons.  
► **SEASONAL CHANGES**. I also realise that Demeter didn't actually cause it to _snow_, she merely ceased to allow plant life to grow and reproduce. This caused "winter" as the Greeks know it because snow is very rare there. But it's more dramatic to have snow appear in August, and again I was pushing the story along more rapidly.  
► **OTHER NYMPHS.** This is the only mention I make of the nymph Kyane from Ovid's version, she who foolishly placed herself in front of Hades and was changed into a spring of water. I don't think Hades can transform someone into water, his powers being more earthy and fiery. I would have to view it more as him killing her and seeing her revert back to her natural watery state, and since I don't see him as an arbitrary murderer either, this simply doesn't work for me.

* * *

**CHAPTER 15**

► **CHAPTER TITLE**. I was looking up the word "_psychopompos_" and found the word "_psychetexeis_" meaning "melting the soul". This was a fascinating concept. Looking up "_texeis_" ("melting") I found that it means not only "melting in the mouth" but also "melting of the eyes, languishing". So the idea of the soul melting away in tears was too poetic to ignore and very appropriate for both Hades and Persephone in this chapter.  
►**BEDROOM SCENE.** In Homer's version, it is sometimes translated that Hermes found them "upon a couch" and that Persephone was "shame-faced". "Couch" is an archaic word for "bed" as well as for "sex" itself, so... poor Hermes probably got an eyeful. Yowza.  
► **DEMETER'S ACTIONS.** There are several things in multiple versions of the myth (Orphic, Homeric, Ovid, etc.), that Demeter did, or had happen to her, during her search for Persephone. All references to these events are painted in _very broad strokes_ so as not to deviate too far from the main story taking place in the Underworld, which I consider far more important. In various chapters and in the "End of the World" song, the things I hint at are as follows: Turning the daughters of a Muse into _Sirens_; transforming the human boy _Ascalabus_ into a lizard; staying with the family of _Keleos_ and _Metaneira_, and trying to transform their son _Demopho'on_ into an immortal through ambrosial fire. These are the only things I bothered with, but there were accounts of other things by other authors, such as: the woman _Baubo_ who danced bawdily to humor the goddess; a woman named _Iambe_ who was probably just another version of the former character; and a boy swine-herd named _Euboulos_ (a title of Hades) who supposedly saw into the pit of the earth that Persephone was taken down into (again, I think this was meant as a veiled reference to the god himself). One thing I choose to ignore completely, because it involved her being "raped" (not sure what interpretation to put on this one) by Poseidon, after which she complained to Zeus and was "raped" by him as well, and then gave birth to two children. Some authors maintain the daughter born from Poseidon (or possibly Zeus) was really just another reference to Persephone herself and indeed the name of this supposed child, "_Despoina_" ("mistress"), was a title she used as Queen of the Underworld. I did include, in an earlier chapter, a reference to the cave Demeter reputedly gave birth in. Forgive me for not dragging every single detail of Demeter's experiences into my version of the story.  
► **SEPARATING**. In the Homeric texts, when Hades said goodbye to Persephone, he spoke sweetly and lovingly to her. I love the part of the hymn when Hermes relates Zeus' command. Here, Hades "_raised his eyebrows and smiled_", clever thoughts already rolling through his mind. It was appropriate for Disney's version of his personality.  
► **KOKYTUS** **WATER**. _**This particular twist never happened in any of the myths, the idea is strictly mine. **_But, let's face it, you need a dangerous confrontation to spice things up. All solid tales have a "moment of truth" scene. It gives the opportunity for Hades to become the hero, which I think he deserves. Also, when Persephone fills the bottle, I give a hint of more things to come (future story, sorry.)

* * *

**CHAPTER 16**

► **CHAPTER TITLE**. In English, let's face it, the story becomes a bit like a cheesy soap opera, families squabbling with deadly consequences. But isn't that typical of mythology anyway? In Greek, I chose "_thanatou tragoudi" _which means "song of death" since Persephone gets a bit melodramatic here.  
► **PERSEPHONE'S ANNOUNCEMENT**. In Homer's version, I find this part very interesting indeed. Demeter's questioning is almost entirely a _lacuna_ (i.e. missing all but fragments). What we do know is that Persephone seems to repeat her words but putting the sequence of events in reverse order. She completely omits anything _negative_ taking place at Hades' hands (unless one counts the pomegranate seeds).

* * *

**CHAPTER 17**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** In the Greek, I wanted something that dwelled again on the family angle so I went with a shaking-the-family-tree idea. "_Genos dendro_" means family tree, but then I found an odd concept called "_dendropema_" which means "blasting trees". Looking under "_pema_" I found it more accurately means "calamity, ruin", so altogether it was quite fitting.  
► **RHEA**._** This version of Rhea and her appearance are mine, not Disney's. Don't use without permission.**_ Her name may come from two sources. Some have claimed it stems from "_rhoa_", meaning "pomegranate tree", thus demonstrating a close connection to Persephone which Cretan myth maintains (they claim these two as mother and daughter, with no Demeter at all). However the non-capitalized "_rhea_", meaning "easily, lightly" is the more likely source. There are variations of her name – "_Rheie_", "_Rhe'e_" or "_Rheia_" – and the non-capitalized word can also be spelled "_rheia_", showing the closer connection between them. I believe this meaning indicates she was probably a patient, gentle woman, fitting her role as the Great Mother figure throughout myth. Perhaps, because of a softer nature, she was an easy target and victim to her former husband and unable to prevent what he did to their children. Later myths represent her as _Kybele_ (sometimes read as "_Kybebe_" and probably stemming from the word "_kybeia_" meaning "gamble, risk, venture"), whereupon she merged her worship with Dionysos. Her festivals included orgies and drinking, so she turned into a bit of a swinging single in her old age, and who could blame her? In Homer's _Hymn to Demeter_, she is the one who convinced Demeter to restore the earth's fertility and brought her back to Olympus after Persephone's return. Some modern authors maintain she also came up with the logical resolution to the situation (I borrowed this idea). Later versions of the abduction story (such as Ovid's) do away with Rhea altogether, letting Zeus be the one to cleverly solve everything; but since he was the one to start the panic in the first place, it seems rather silly to have him retract his own decision in the end (and according to Disney's TV series, Zeus _"doesn't change his mind",_ which Hades also takes advantage of rather sneakily).  
► **RHEA'S CHILDREN**. Yes, most myths maintain that _all_ the sons and daughters were children of Kronos. But at least one well-researched source, drawing from older myths of Phrygia and Samothrace, says the daughters were already in existence beforehand, _born of Rhea alone_, and were actually in charge of caring for the infant Zeus while being hidden from Kronos (different from versions saying he was raised by the nymphs). This version also says that Kronos had already thrown Hades into Tartarus and Poseidon into the sea, which worked well for my version of what they experienced being inside their father. I liked the concept of Rhea giving birth to her daughters in the same way I portray Demeter giving birth to Persephone. Zeus, and possibly Hera, both gave birth without need of each other. Gaia and Nyx were portrayed as self-perpetuating. So perhaps it kind of runs in the family. However I promise, I won't let Hades give birth to anything by himself (unless you want to count the imps).  
► **PERSEPHONE'S CROWN**. At first I wanted to design my own, sort of a flowery skull-like thing. Then I found a vase painting from about 400 BCE which had a better vision. The crown seems to be made of separate sections, slightly rounded, with a pattern inside each part that looks like seeds. So I determined it might be designed to look like pomegranates.

* * *

**CHAPTER 18**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** Obviously the English title is a reference to a final showdown, shoot-out, good-guys-don't-always-wear-white kind of situation. The Greek title, "_pharmakos_" means "poisoner, sorcerer, magician", which would serve somewhat for any of the major players in this chapter. But it has the additional meaning of "one who is sacrificed as an atonement for others, a scapegoat". Since those who were seen as worthless were reserved for this fate, the word becomes a general reproach.  
► **THE BIG FIGHT SCENE.**Stories need confrontation to come to realizations about a character's strengths and weaknesses. In this particular case, I found it essential to establish the light/dark aspects within the gods that they themselves didn't realize they possessed. Each one has a little of both, though they're always seen as Hades = dark, Persephone = light. This way they begin to understand each other even more deeply, by sharing their powers. The Greeks had an amazing gift for combining total opposites and making them work well together. Hades and Persephone seem about as opposed as can be –dark/light, death/life, age/youth, male/female, etc. – but that just makes them more necessary for completion, an idealized animus/anima, yin/yang, Jungian-archetypal relationship. Also, the revelation I give to Hades during the fight brings him to a realization of his own true place as a god, instead of just being "in charge of the Underworld".

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

► **CHAPTER TITLE.** In English, it's a combination of "happy trails" to signify the final journey and "merry Xmas to all, etc." to signify the newfound gifts of the afterlife. In Greek, it is "_o epikouros isotelestos_" which translates as "the ally that comes to all alike", which was used a polite way of saying "death".  
► **THE NEW UNDERWORLD**. Much as I would love to take full credit for creating the idea of shops and bars and sight-seeing in the Underworld, I cannot. Actually I believed I had come up with it entirely on my own but, after already writing this chapter, I found that Aristophanes had rather neatly described it in his play _"The Frogs"._ In that, Dionysos asks Hercules what the Underworld is like before he makes a visit, inquiring of the _"...natives, hospitality, general tone of the place, sights, shops, whorehouses, taverns, restaurants, and hotels with the least bedbugs..."._ And somewhat later Charon asks if he's headed for "_Perdition Plaza_", makes him row the boat, and yells through a megaphone. Very funny stuff. I think maybe Aristophanes himself has been downstairs a few times. I do rather like the fact that he not only portrays Hades in a pleasant light but maintains that it's basically a blissful domestic scene between the husband and wife. (Aristophanes, by the way, was an Eleusinian Initiate. And he could have written for Disney, in this day and age.)  
► **THINGS TO COME.** In preparing to set up for my next big story, I brought into play the Cretan war with Athens, which leads to the Minotaur and other things. Disney already established the Trojan War was over because Hades mentions in the movie how they "bet on the wrong horse", so I chose the other great battle as my jumping-off point.  
► **SINGING**. Laugh if you like, but I honestly believe that the song _"Row, Row, Row Your Boat"_ refers to a death boat. There are several such ships in other myths of other cultures, Charon's being the most well-known. Think of the lyrics. What is life, to a dead person, but a dream?  
► **UNDERWORLD RESIDENTS. _The following characters and their descriptions are mine, not Disney's: Nyx, Erebos, Styx's children and husband, Eris and her six children, Aidos, Tyche, Hemera, Aither. The locations and titles are mine, not Disney's. Don't use without permission._** Man, did this take a lot of research, and about two dozen source books. I might be missing some people, but I believe I've covered the main ones. In following the movie and TV series, Hades seemed quite alone in the Underworld except for the imps and occasional other minions, the Furies, the dead souls, and Styx. But there was really a plethora of beings dwelling below. Some of the entities mentioned in this chapter were not full-time residents, but according to myth have a strong underworld connection. Most of **Nyx** and **Erebos'** children have always lived there. Hesiod writes of several more than I mention herein but most seem to be repetitions of previous beings, so I ignore them. Styx's children - They were better received on Olympus but it's fun to have them down below. _**Philyra**_ – Styx's sister, the mother of Hades' half-brother the centaur _Cheiron_, and another sister named _Daeira_ was mother (by Hermes) to _Eleusis_, for whom the city was reportedly named. **Eris' daughters** – I had already planned to give Pain and Panic girlfriends, and had thought how utterly appropriate it would be to have the daughters of Eris involved with them... then I found out they had been banned from Olympus and _actually did move into the Underworld_, near the entrance. Hesiod claims 14 children for Eris, but nine of these essentially boil down to one individual, and the six I use in this chapter are the most commonly known. It's interesting the way these characters, personifications of such dreadful things, really seem to operate. Most often they are described as being not simply the _causes of troubles_, but the _relief of it_ as well. I see them as being more of a lesson-enforcer for people who can't learn unless it's shoved down their throats. _**Eris**_ – The goddess herself is the most perfect example of a deity working in this context. _**Tyche**_ – I'm not sure if I credit her as being a separate entity, but rather as a title of Eris (_luck_ and _chaos_ go together, one positive and one negative), and I've already addressed the "_Ploutos_" connection; but I liked using her for the casino idea. _**Nemesis**__** and **__**Aidos**_ – I hope everyone caught my Xena/Gabrielle reference. Disney started it though, with the way they portrayed the Goddess of Vengeance, so don't blame me. _**Hypnos**_ – I know Disney called the God of Sleep Morpheus but that's not accurate. In later Roman myth Hypnos was given a _son_ named Morpheus (a Greek word of course) God of Dreams, sometimes called _**Oneiros**_. In fact, Hypnos in Greek myth commanded a group of beings, referred to as the "tribe of dreams", which Hesiod claims were children of Nyx as well. I see this as minions rather than a single person, a son. But for the sake of compromise in my story, I went with both ideas. _**Hemera**__** and **__**Aither**_ – They never actually lived in the Underworld, but I figured I could give them "night jobs". The name of the camp is taken from a title of both Demeter and Persephone, as part of the Eleusinian Mysteries.  
► **THE DIVINE CHILD.** This was far far far far too much to include in one story, and will be dealt with later.  
► **ENDING TITLE.** The Greek is "_aisio telos_", quite simply "happy ending". Just the way Disney likes it.


	21. UPDATES: art, sequels, plagiarism, more

**INFORMATION UPDATES:**

7. Illustrated HSE on Dreamwidth. (11/3/2011)  
6. Apology from a plagiarist. (7/6/2011)  
5. My policy on sequels by other authors (12/26/2010)  
4. Permission for sequel & my original sequel plot (10/6/2010)  
3. Not quite plagiarism (10/2010)  
2. Plagiarism issue of 2009 (2/2010)  
1. Plagiarism issue of 2004

**READ updates below.**

* * *

**7. Illustrated HSE on Dreamwidth. (11/3/2011)**

Since I'm moving so much of my artwork away from deviantArt, and all my HSE and other Hades art was there, I've created a journal just for the fic + illustrations.

_(remember: delete spaces when you copy/paste the link) _**disney-hades. dreamwidth. org**

* * *

**6. Apology from a plagiarist. (7/6/2011)**

Wow. And thank you for coming forward.

Now never do it to anyone else as long as you live, okay?

* * *

**5. My policy on sequels by other authors (12/26/2010)  
**

Since I've been asked again by someone expressing interest in writing their own sequel to HSE, let me just state it here for everyone else who may ask in the future.

**Yes,** you may write in my HSE universe, but I have two conditions:

_A.) **Nothing is ever going to be considered an "Official Sequel" to my story unless I write it myself.** I don't have a problem with people writing a story, but I ask that it be declared "not official" or "AU" or whatever you like to make it completely clear that it is NOT canon material from my created world._

_B.) **Do not plagiarize me.** Borrowing - with credit - makes me happy. If you are concerned that something you want to write might be taken the wrong way, just send me a message and we'll figure it out._

Barring those two things, you can write pretty much whatever you like. And I would actually enjoy reading it when you're done.

* * *

**4. Permission for sequel & my original sequel plot (10/6/2010)  
**

I have given permission for another writer to do an unofficial sequel to HSE, which will not be "canon" to my story, but I will encourage readers to check it out when it's posted.

The trick with having fanfic of your own work (whether it be published or fanfic itself) is to prevent crossing intended plotlines. I'm not asking in advance what the other writer has in mind, because there should be no misunderstanding by anyone what is _theirs _and what would be _my own_, in the event that I actually finish writing the intended sequel.

Since I've never detailed anything from the sequel I've been cooking forever, I'll give some of it now so there's no confusion. It's just so freaking insanely complicated, which is why I cannot seem to complete it. Because of that, I can only give the barest bones...

...-...-...-...

**The plot for my original sequel, titled "Perpetual Motion: A Revolutionary Love"**

_The fertility Bull god of Crete reincarnates through the Labyrinth goddess until Poseidon stops them, wanting control of the worshippers of Crete. Bull god's spirit finds Pasiphae and she births the Minotaur. Minos sends son Androgeus to Athens to hire Daedalus to build maze, son gets killed, Minos starts war with Athens._

_Theseus tries to be just like his cousin Hercules, prays to a strange god for power, but the god is Kronos trying to return to earth. Theseus has his adventures, goes to Crete as a decoy to save Athenian kids. Meets Ariadne who helps him escape, along with Icarus and Daedalus (there's a side story with Icarus losing his memory, washing ashore in Greece and being found by Cassandra, and they live happily ever after)._

_Hades and Persephone come to a cave in Crete to conceive, and the Bull god latches onto them. The pregnancy is very short and the child grows extremely quickly. They name him Brimos (according to Eleusian lore). He is largely raised on Nysa by Demeter, his "second mother", and the nymphs, and begins to call himself Zagreus (also lore). The child does not remember his previous life as the Bull god._

_Kronos has rebuilt the Titans and sent them to earth, where they kidnap Zagreus as ransom for Hades' control of the Underworld. Hecate - who is reformed - helps Hades, Demeter, Zeus and Poseidon fight them and destroy them completely, but Zagreus is killed. Persephone captures his spirit and puts him into a human woman, Zeus' lover Semele. She give birth but dies, and the new child Dionysos is taken to Olympus. He becomes adult in months. And he has now grown horns as his previous powers begin to emerge._

_Theseus and Ariadne come to Naxos where he attacks her, under the control of Kronos. She escapes and meets Dionysos and his followers on the island. He realises at that moment he was the Bull god and that Ariandne is the reincarnation of the Labyrinth goddess, and falls instantly in love with her. (There is a side story about Silenus and Midas, as well as Orpheus and Eurdike.) Sailors who believe Dionysos is evil capture him and Ariadne, she helps them to escape, and remembers her own past life._

_Theseus and his friend Pirithous are both under Kronos' control, and he sends them to kidnap Persephone, again as ransom for possession of the Underworld. Persephone together with Hecate, now her friend, give them Lethe water and Hades plans to keep them captive forever until Hercules appears and asks for their release. Hades gives him Theseus but keeps Pirithous. (There is a bit where Hercules whines about Megara leaving him with the kids - no deaths here - and there is discussion of Adonis smearing Persephone's name by deliberately confusing his name with Hades' true name.) Hades realises Kronos was controlling Theseus and Pirithous, and calls Zeus and Poseidon to help trap their father in Tartarus._

_Dionysos and Ariadne meet his parents (all of them) and get married and everyone lives happily ever after, of course._

...-...-...-...

So you see, insanely complicated. It would probably have taken two entire novels to include everything I wanted, and there was a crapload of research, of course. Brimos/Zagreus/Dionysos is a very difficult tale to cover, as it is found only by scouring dozens of myths, but it is valid. The concept of Zeus Chthonios being his father with Persephone is another mistaken identity situation, thanks to crossover titles. The child is definitely Hades' originally, but due to all his deaths and rebirths Dionysos was called the "thrice born" and so he claims multiple parents.

So this story may never get written as I would like. But I am working (slowly) on the other story in this 'verse - Cupid and Psyche's tale. It fits somewhere into the timeline above, which makes it all even MORE complicated. *sigh* I torture myself endlessly.

* * *

**3. Not-quite plagiarism (10/2010)  
**

Yes, I'm aware of another writer on this site who used a few elements and names from HSE - It's all been worked out quite amicably and everything is just fine. Thank you so much for your concerns. :)

There are always some aspects of any Hades/Persephone story that are bound to be quite similar, and even parts that might seem very close to what I've written can easily be things that any good writer who's done their mythological homework would have sussed out. It impresses me, actually, to see smooth blending of Disney and mythology, while staying true to the essence of a character. Capturing Hades in writing is like trying to capture a hurricane in a butterfly net (and I stole that line from a TV show, bad me).

Just so everyone understands clearly in the future I think I'll be adding a note to everything I write and draw. **I WILL SHARE.** I really don't have a problem with my work being borrowed from in most cases - _but ONLY if I'm given credit and/or asked for permission._ I'm also thrilled to see your work, because I have a tendency to fave/pimp out/squee with delight when someone has been inspired enough by my work to create their own from it. Keep that in mind, give me a link, I'd love to see it (and I really won't bite unless I have no choice).

If you see another story by someone else, of course inform me! I wish _all _situations could go as easily as this one did.

Thank you also, fellow writer, for helping me get this sorted out.

* * *

**2. Plagiarism issue of 2009 (2/2010)  
**

It happened on quizilla. teennick. com, posted in September of 2009, but wasn't discovered until January 2010 by a very diligent viewer on deviantArt.

A quizilla-teennick user by the name of **chaseyoungfanXS** copy/pasted everything up to about chapter five, spreading it out to make fourteen chapters, editing just enough to give it more narrative than dialogue, and those parts were filled with typos. Plus - absolutely love this - changed Persephone's name to "Aleya". I'm not sure if they even knew that Persephone actually IS the wife of Hades and that I didn't just make it up. But since they stole the story in the first place, I am sure they didn't care enough to find that out. Anyway, the saddest part is that "Aleya" is a name that appears in every story they've written. And I wonder even now if the rest of those are stolen as well.

I really wish I'd taken screen grabs of the story. Oh well. I'll wait and see if the Wayback Machine archives get it for me.

The wonderful people on deviantArt helped me, in a rapid campaign of letters to the quizilla-teennick management, to get the story deleted. And in thanks to those same wonderful people, I will be writing a dedicated short Hades fic. Should be done very soon. **(DONE: See "Hi-Deth Tartarus Vision")**

* * *

**1. Plagiarism issue of 2004  
**

It happened here on ff. net. When I complained to this person, they admitted it. There was an "apology" but the writer continued to write and post chapters which stole directly from my story even after that. I complained then to ff. net, who removed the story.

No, I never gave the writer any permission to use anything from my story. The ideas the writer used were specifically my own, not from Disney or even from Greek mythology. Yes, sure, other people copy ideas from mythology. Greek myth as a whole does not have any copyright so of course I'm not the only person to use it as a basis for stories. But when it comes to specific ideas by a specific author, that is an entirely different matter. One should always ask first and make sure to get permission to use those specific ideas.

This situation was far from flattering (as one person said I should consider it to be). It was hurtful. I spent _two years_ researching and writing this story. It is part of my heart. Then someone copies it, posts it as if it's their own, and basks in reviews for such "unique ideas". If they'd experienced the same thing I did, wouldn't they'd be a little upset too?

_FF .net tells people in their TOS not to steal. _And they don't say it just as a "play nice with others" statement. They are protecting themselves, and their users, from potential lawsuits and other harassment.

Yes, this a _fanfiction_ site, but it's here because writers need to express their own original ideas, even if it takes place in a fandom world. And those ideas ought to get the respect they deserve.


	22. review responses

**RESPONSES TO REVIEWS (**Since I can't include my answers to various questions anywhere else, I've added this extra page to do so)

...-...-...-...

First... I'll get the old "Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who read it and loved it, and appreciate the work that went into the story, the research and the illustrations" thing out of the way. You probably know how I am grateful to you all by now. ‹3 :)

For the illustrations I mention... Just check my ff .net Bio page for a list of links to those illos (and other non-Hades stuff).

And because it's been brought up a couple of times... If you're interested in writing something you think might be similar to my work, just email me and we'll discuss it. I always give honest consideration.

I truly appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. I have gladly made corrections offered by readers when there's a genuine problem, and will always be willing to do so, because I don't think any story is ever so complete that it can't allow addendums, even eleven years down the road. I want my work to be both well-presented and as accurate in details as possible. I am also very comfortable with my story as a whole; I wrote it to please myself, which it absolutely does. I'm glad my readers have enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, and I believe they understand how very happy it makes me.

* * *

**Now to the more specialised answers, in no particular order:**

►The likelihood of a sequel is getting slimmer and slimmer as the years pass. I apologise, both to you and to myself, because no matter how much I want to do it, I just haven't got a real answer for anyone. If Chronos and the Muses can't help me out, I'm screwed. Even if I do write it, you'd have to realise it very probably won't live up to the quality of the first. (I think I'm a little worried about that too...)

►_This is already explained in the research portion of the story:  
_Yes, I do know Cupid is the Roman version of the name, Eros is the Greek. But Disney decided on "Cupid" (and even "Hercules" instead of "Herakles") so I went with their decision on the name. Quite simple.

►The footnotes may still sometimes refer to _"See Real Mythos",_ which was originally a link in my old defunct website, and I failed to edit all of that out of the notes when I posted here to ff .net. As well, the links aren't even valid anymore. I hope I've deleted all of them now, but let me know if I missed one.

►Yeah, Hades does get a little sappy in some parts. In my story he's been hit with a very special and very potent love arrow, and has also found his true love at the same time. That's got to be hard to resist. Also, if anyone's seen the TV episode where Cupid's cherubs hit him with 17 arrows (yes, it takes that many ordinary arrows to affect him at all) he goes completely goofy, pets the cherubs adoringly, and begs for a hug before everyone deserts him. He is not above the sap ;) Deep down, doesn't he just want to be loved?

►_This is already explained in the footnotes of the story:_  
The animal pulling Hades chariot is sort of strange. I read in Disney book on the production and design of the movie, that they consider it to be a griffin even though it looks a bit dragon-y. If you look closely, you can see it does have lion-shaped haunches, back legs, and tail, which griffins have. So whatever it REALLY is, I'll just consider it a sort of Underworld-modified griffin-dragon mix. Maybe Hades custom-ordered it from Echidna.

►I really do agree, I left a big hole in the story toward the end in the original version - Persephone never apologised for causing all the chaos. Since then, I've put in a teensy tweak to a paragraph somewhere in the epilogue, which patches that hole - just barely. I can only say this much: I wrote her as a willful teenager who already disliked her mother and Olympus in general, so probably didn't even consider she needed to say she was sorry about it. Makes her a little less than perfect (which is a good thing, in my eyes). However, I should not have left it up to mere assumption that she apologised. Bad me.

►The fact that Hades is relatively powerless in his own kingdom... Blame Disney again. They did that in both movie and TV series. Is it any wonder he freaking hates his job and his life? Good reason for him to lash out and try to overthrow his obnoxiously lucky brother.

►_This is already explained in the footnotes of the story:_  
Helios is the original god of the sun. Disney made it become Apollo, which the Romans also did. Not my decision - but the explanation for WHY it happened was mine.

►Nope, the songs were really just poems. I had some vague tunes far, far in the back of my head as Euterpe was feeding me all the rhymes, but I could never put any of this to music.

►The Hundred-Handed Giants are called by the English name for simplicity's sake. Also Disney did it first, in the TV series.

►_This is already explained in the footnotes of the story:_  
Thanatos is sometimes said to be a separate god, brother to Hypnos. But Euripides, in his play "Alkestis", declares that Thantatos and Hades are the same person, just as Apollo complains that Death and Hades are the same. So I chose to use Thanatos as a nickname given him by Nyx and Erebos, who treat him as a son.


End file.
